The Twilight Legacy
by ReceptiveSavior
Summary: After 6 months, Sora and the gang returns to rid the universe of a new threat. A search for powerful wielders of the Keyblade has begun and a forgotten prophecy shall come to light. One Key shall bring destruction.
1. Chapter 1: Heroes In Disguise

**What's up everyone. Xergg here, bringing you the re-make of KH: Twilight Legacy. How you all enjoy!****Seven years before the events of Kingdom Hearts…**

* * *

_On the large planet of Farplex, in the royal city of Rambosa, three children ran through the night, two boys and a young girl. Usually, the city was filled with such lively life during the night. Parties and clubs were a hit when the sun finally set behind the mountains. But not this night…everything was silent on this night…_

_The three children were dressed in cloaks, which hid their features. The three scurried into an alleyway, catching their breaths before preparing to run again. The oldest boy, no older than seven, wearing a black cloak with a few white stripes, peered his head around the darkened corner. He could see a few figures, dressed in some sort of armor, running down the street. He put his hand back at the other two kids, telling them to back up. And they did…_

"_Greg, are they still after us?" The second boy asked, dressed in a black cloak, who was around the age of six or seven. The older boy, Greg, looked back and nodded silently. The un-named boy shook his head in disbelief. "What is going on?"_

"_I don't know, Jason." Greg whispered, as he backed up, causing the other two to back up as well. "But mother said we had to leave the city."_

"_What about father?" Jason asked his brother in a low tone. Greg just shrugged as he kept his eyes on the streets, watching the figure run by yelling their names._

"_Will me see mommy and daddy, again?" The girl asked, dressed in a white cloak, who was about four years old. She held tightly to Jason's dark colored shirt. She had never been so frightened in her life. One moment she was in her room, preparing to go to sleep, and the next, she was out running the streets and hiding in alleyways._

"_I don't know, Rebecca, but it's possible." Greg felt as if he was telling the young girl a lie, but he had to tell her something. He avoided looking at her as best he could. Even though the cloak was shrouding her eyes, he would still see the fright locked away in them._

_He glanced back at the little girl, twice, before throwing a glare at Jason. "Why the heck did you give her a white cloak?!" He whispered harshly. "That white stands out like a light in the dark!"_

"_It was the only one I could find!" Jason whispered back._

"_Well-"_

"_Hey! There they are!" A voice shouted, causing the three siblings to look at the alleyway entrance._

_Several soldiers stormed the narrow pathway, all, of which, were running towards the children. The three children sprinted off without a second thought, daring not to look back at their pursuers. They ran out of the alleyway and down the street, trying as best as they could to look as if they were playing a game, as not to draw attention._

"_This way!" Greg ordered, as he turned a corner with his siblings following him._

_They soon found themselves running down the side of a wide canal. The shouting of the armored figures was the only things the trio could hear. As if things couldn't get any worse, they did…_

_Greg stopped running…_

_Jason stopped and turned around, Rebecca gripping his hand tightly. "What are you doing?! We have to go!"_

_But Greg ignored Jason's plea completely. "Listen, mother said that there is an escape ship at the end of the canal, built in the ground somewhere. I don't know where it is, but you have to find it and leave. Just follow the canal to the end of the city, it should be there somewhere."_

_Rebecca's eyes widened. "But…what about you?"_

"_Mother told me to protect you, and that's what I'm going to do." Greg could feel something form in his grasp._

_A light emerged, surrounded by a spiraling darkness. A gold and black Keyblade appeared in the boy's grip, seemingly to large for the boy to carry. The handle of the Keyblade is of two black wings extending from the guard and ending at the pommel, surrounding the hilt. The hilt, itself, was a brilliant gold metal, as well as the blade of the Keyblade. Spiraling, tribal designs could be seen on the side of the gold blade. The very tip of the blade was shaped like a five-point crown, each point either black or gold. On the opposite side of the Keyblade, near the middle, was a black wing-like shape that extended towards the hilt._

_Jason was in awe. "A…a Keyblade? When did-"_

"_Take Rebecca and go! I'll catch up!" Greg shouted, as he turned around towards the approaching figures._

"_You promise…?" Rebecca asked, tears swelling up near the edge of her eyes. But Greg didn't reply, he only stood silent._

_Jason frowned, feeling a bit of anger emerge from deep inside him. He tugged on Rebecca's arm. "Let's go, sis." He said, as they began sprinting down the side of the canal, again._

_And just like that, Greg was alone. The metallic boots of the figures rang out, as they grew nearer and nearer. Greg could hear one of them call out his name, as they came rushing from the darkness and into the moon's rays. The moonlight reflected off of their armor, giving off a brilliant shine._

_One figure stepped forward. "You are to return to-"_

"_I'm not going anywhere." Greg interrupted, his Keyblade shining in his hand._

"_Please, young-"_

"_Give it up," Greg interrupted the figure again. "I'm not going back."_

_The figure paused for a moment, as another figure whispered something to him. The little Keyblade Wielder could hear the figure let out a laugh._

"_It seems we were told to bring you back at any cost." He said, laughing still heard in his voice. He unsheathed his sword, which was strapped to his side._

_But Greg didn't waver, not in the least. He stood still, glaring at the figures from under his hood, as the wind began to swirl around them. Suddenly, the wind wrapped itself around Greg, as light and dark energy began to form around the boy as well._

_The sound of metallic footsteps could be heard as the figures took a few steps back. The leading figure could see one of the boy's eyes, as it began to glow a bright white from under the hood._

"_I was chosen for a reason..." Greg murmured._"_Where the heck is that escape ship?!" Jason shouted, as he stomped his foot on the ground. The remaining two siblings had finally reached their destination, but couldn't find the escape pod._

* * *

"_Maybe Greg we'll know when he gets-"_

"_Ahhh!" Came Rebecca's voice. Jason turned just in time to see Rebecca being lifted into the air by a large object, rising up from in the ground. As the dirt and bushes fell off of the object, Jason could recognize it as the ship._

"_Rebecca, you found it!" Jason shouted cheerfully, as he ran over to the ship. Rebecca seemed to roll off with the dirt, landing on Jason's head. Her brother frowned and opened the hatch, boarding the small ship. He quickly went to the controls and pressed a button, which started the ship up immediately._

"_Take off in 5 seconds…" A computerized voice announced. Jason's eyes widened._

"_Rebecca, get on the ship!" He shouted, to his sister, who was still outside. She peered her head in and smiled._

"_But what about Greg?" She asked. But before she could answer, the hatch closed, pushing her inside the ship. As she stood up, she could feel the ship moving. "Jason…?"_

"_It's taking off." He glanced back at Rebecca with a sad look. "There's nothing we can do…"_

_Rebecca instantly knew what he was talking about and rushed to the window, hoping that Greg had grabbed onto part of the ship, like the characters in the stories her mother told her before she went to sleep at night. But there was no sign of him. Instead, a bright light, coming from inside the city, where they left Greg, lit up the sky. A wave of energy washed over the ship, making it rock back and forth._

"_What's happening?" Jason asked, to himself more than Rebecca. The ship's control system was beginning to malfunction and random coordinates were put in. The ship was meant to take them to the other side of Farplex, but now it was headed towards outer space, into the beyond._

_Tears came flowing down Rebecca's face, as they left the planet. She called out her older brother's name, but he would not hear her voice…He wouldn't hear it for a long, long time…_

**Six Months after the events of KH2…**

Ragnias City, also known as the sister city of Rambosa, is the largest city on the planet Farplex. Located on the other side of the planet, it is known for it's tourist attractions and hundreds of stores, it the most populated city on the planet. The most famous of people live in this city, or close to it, making it almost as royal as Rambosa.

This is where our story begins…

A girl, around the age of sixteen or so, with long blond hair, walked down the street carrying two large bags with her. She was dressed in a simple, white, short-sleeved shirt that had the words "Angel" going across the front. She also wore a blue, jean skirt with a pair of white tennis shoes. Her eyes were a bright green, emerald color. She was thin, but not too thin.

As the girl walked down the street, passing by other shoppers, she failed to notice the three shady figures following her. She began to hum a tune that had popped up in her head, as she turned the corner and began walking down a not-so-crowded street. To be honest, the street barely had any people walking the sidewalks, since there were no stores on the street. Still, it didn't bother the girl, as she continued walking and humming her tune.

A large, chubby man stepped in her path of travel and stared at her. The girl decided to go around, giving the man a strange look. But when she tried to do so, the man stepped to the side, blocking her path again. The girl backed up, but stopped when she felt someone behind her. She turned around quickly to see two more men, much skinnier than the fat one, standing behind her, smiling.

"Hey little lady, what's in the bag?" One of the skinnier men asked, as he stepped forward.

The girl took a step back. She felt nervous and frightened, scared of what the men might do. There was no one around to help her. If she were to make it out of this situation, she decided that this would be the last time she went shopping alone.

But she couldn't let them see that she was scared, or maybe they would try to do _something_ to her. She tried to think a few scenarios out in her mind, but none of them involved her escaping safely. The only thing that came to mind was…rape…

The girl swallowed hard, trying to hold back her fright. "It's none of your business! So why don't you just scram?!" She shouted.

The men chuckled, causing the girl to tense up. Certainly that laughter didn't make her feel any less scared. In fact, it nearly caused her to drop her bags and scream as loud as she could. But she knew that if she were to do that, they would most defiantly do _something_ with or to her.

"Oh, I like'em feisty!" The chubby man said, still a hint of laughter in his voice. If the girl wasn't scared before, she was now. Her legs began to shake and she tried to stay standing, but her legs gave out a moment after the man finished his sentence.

"P-Please, take t-them and l-leave." She girl said softly, placing the bags on the ground and pushing them towards the two men.

"Oh, we don't want what's in the bag." The chubby man said, as he grabbed the girl's arm. As if something possessed her, the girl closed her eyes and jerked her arm back and into the fat man's stomach. The man let out a small noise of pain and frustration.

"Why you little-"

"You can let go of her now." A voice called out. Hearing the familiar voice, the girl couldn't help but smile and open her eyes. She looked behind the chubby man to see a boy standing down the sidewalk with his arms crossed. The boy was no older than the girl, with a thin, muscular build. He wore a sleeve-less navy shirt with long, black shorts and sporting black and blue Adidas on his feet. On his wrists he wore two black wristbands and a pair of fingerless, black and blue gloves His spiky black hair swayed in the wind, as he chocolate brown eyes glared at the men attacking his friend.

"And just who might you be?" One of the skinnier men asked.

"Does it matter?" The boy asked, sighing slightly. He then appeared before the fat man, elbowing him in the face, causing him to fall to the ground as well. The boy laughed in disbelief and then walked to the girl.

"You okay, Tami?" The boy asked, looking into her eyes. The girl blushed for a moment, gazing into his, but then looked away in embarrassment. "I tell ya, Tami, you're always getting yourself into trouble." He stood up and looked at the two men, helping up the larger one.

Tami looked up at her hero, Greg. It wasn't the first time he had saved her. No, he had saved her so many times that she had lost count. He was probably her closest friends, and she could always depend on him, even when it seemed he wouldn't show. And there he was, standing before her, protecting her yet again.

"T-That kid! He hit me!" The large man yelled, rubbing his cheek. He looked at his two thin friends. "Get that kid! Teach him a lesson!"

"Will do." One of the skinny men said, walking toward Greg. The young boy had no time to reply, as one of the men threw a punch at him. Letting out a small sigh, Greg moved his head to the side, allowing the fist to move right by his face. He then pushed the fist aside with his left hand and punch the man in the gut with his right. He did not even give the second man a chance, as he moved quickly across the sidewalk, knocking him out with one punch.

"Man, you guys suck…I mean, reeeeaaaally suck." Greg said, laughing slightly. He watched as the only skinny man conscious stood up and backed away towards the chubby man, who was staring wide-eyed.

"Let's get outta here!" The chubby man shouted, as he began to run off. The skinnier man did not even bother to ask about his friend, as he rushed off behind the chubby man as well.

"So much for friendship." Greg murmured, as he looked down at unconscious man. His eyes then traveled back to Tami, who was picking herself up off of the ground. He walked over and picked the bags up, just as she was about to. "Don't worry, I got them." He said, smiling.

"I'm sure I can handle carrying a couple of bags, Mr. Hero. I'm not as useless as I look." Tami argued with a small smile.

"Hey, you said it, not me." Greg laughed, but then felt something hit the back of his head. He didn't have to turn around to know what it was. "I didn't even deserve that smack, you know."

"Yeah, yeah." Tami said, as she led the way down the sidewalk, Greg tagging along behind her. "So tell me, what were you doing out here? Weren't you supposed to be cleaning the house for Ravu or hanging with Brandon?" She asked, referring to their two other friends. She thought for a moment and spoke before Greg could get a chance to. "Weren't you supposed to be leaving town on some trip?"

Greg blinked in confusion, but the thoughts came rushing back to him. He was supposed to leave Ragnias City to go sight seeing or something like that, but never got around to it. After being in Ragnias for so long, it seemed strange to just up and leave.

But that wasn't the only reason. Today was a very special day, for a very special woman.

"Well, yeah, but I changed my mind." He responded, as he shifted the bags around in his arms. "And besides, it's Sophia's birthday today. I couldn't leave on her birthday."

"Sounds to me like you wanted to skip out on work today." Tami giggled as they came to a house. The house wasn't as big as the others, but it wasn't small either. It seemed to be just right for the amount of people staying in it, which were three; Greg, Ravu, and a lady by the name of Sophia.

Sophia, the only adult in the house, was a nice, middle-aged lady. One would think she was a young woman, if not for the gray hairs there were starting to appear in her head. She always kept her hair in a small ponytail or something of that nature. She would mostly be seen in her bright blue dress, which was a little darker than sky blue, and a white apron.

Ravu, a young girl who was about Greg's age with fiery orange eyes, was the second female of the household, who had been orphaned at a young age. She would mostly be seen in her favorite red, short-sleeved shirt and her ripped blue jeans, with a pair of red converses with orange flames. And her short, sky blue hair would always stay about neck-length, never longer nor shorter.

At first appearance, people would think that Greg and Ravu were dating. But after realizing how long they've lived together, they see them as sister and brother, which is how they felt towards each other. But Ravu is also known as Greg's rival, since they seem to have different opinions about everything, and seem to always be equal when it came to sword fighting.

Tami walked through the door of the house and felt a pleasant smell enter her nose. Sophia would always be cooking around this time, and it would always smell delicious. And the house, it never seemed to change. As soon as one would walk through the door, they were only a few steps away from the living room, which held a long couch, two chairs, a table in the middle of the floor, and a television facing the couch, hanging on the wall. Walking in the opposite direction of the living room would result in walking upstairs, where three bedrooms were, which belonged to the three people who lived in the house. If one were to walk past the living room, they would enter the dining room, which was also home to the kitchen.

Other than those things, the house was home to pictures of the trio, as well as Tami and a boy by the name as Brandon, some lamps and decorative things here and there. It was quite the peaceful home that anyone would want.

"Hello? Is anyone here?" Tami asked, as she walked into the house and kicked off her shoes. "Ravu? Sophia?"

Greg walked in and shut the door using one of his foots. He kicked his shoes off and placed the bags on the ground. It wasn't natural for the house to be empty at this time of day. But he knew someone was home, someone in particular.

"Hey Ravu, get you fat butt out here!" Greg yelled, laughing afterward. He glanced over at Tami who shook her head in disbelief. As Tami bent over to pick up the bags, a shoe came flying through the air, over her and hitting Greg in the face, causing him to stumble back into the door.

"Who you calling fat?!" Ravu shouted, as she stomped into the living room. She had an apron on over her clothes and a spatula in her hand. "Were you calling me fat?!"

Greg laughed nervously as he rubbed his nose, where the shoe had hit him. "No, no! I would never call you that!" He lied.

Ravu glared at him for a minute, narrowing her eyes. She then turned her attention to Tami, who was trying to stifle a laugh. "So, are those the supplies?" She asked.

Tami waited a moment to reply, trying to calm herself down. "Yes, these are the birthday things you wanted."

"Bring them to the dining room." Ravu said, as she grabbed a bag from the girl.

"Hey, wait-" Greg found himself ducking from another shoe, which crashed into the door, making a dent. "Man, Sophia is going to have your head." He chuckled, as he ran towards the dining room.

Tami and Ravu placed the bags on the table, just as Greg entered the room. They began removing things, such as party hats and party decorations, like balloons and a banner that read "Happy Birthday."

Greg found himself wandering towards the kitchen area, after smelling the sweet fragrance of cake. But when he got into the area, there were a lot more foods than he had expected; some type of meat, a couple of rolls, a few sweets here and there, and a few appetizers.

"Whoa, Ravu! Did you cook all of this?" Greg shouted, as he sniffed the air, taking in all the amazing smells.

"Yes, I did." Ravu replied, as she walked into the kitchen and looked at the cake, which was in the oven. "You think Sophia will like it?"

"Of course she'll like it! Heck, I even like it!" Greg shouted, as he hovered over the sweets, before he felt the spatula slam down onto his head, causing him to wince. "Okay, okay, I won't touch." He pouted.

Tami found herself in the kitchen as well, doing the exact same thing Greg was doing only moments ago. She picked up a small appetizer and tasted it. "Wow, Ravu, you've really outdone yourself. I never knew you could cook."

Greg's mouth dropped open. "Hey, how come-"

"Yeah, Sophia taught him." Ravu said, ignoring Greg completely.

"Sophia is going to be stunned when she finds out you cooked all of this delicious food." Tami couldn't help but smile. She then looked at Greg. "Greg, you should really try one of these."

"Don't mind if I do-ouch!" Before Greg could even reach out his hand, the spatula hit him once again. "Damn spatula…." He wandered back out to the dining room, seeing as how he couldn't eat any of the food. Ravu wouldn't even let him get a small taste! It was truly frustrating.

But his sights caught something that he had missed earlier; two boxes wrapped in colorful paper.

"Hey, are those-"

"That's it!" Ravu shouted, as she smacked him again with the spatula and grabbed his collar, pulling him out of the dining hall, through the living room, and to the door. "I want you to go out and help Brandon occupy Sophia, okay?! Because we're not going to get any work done with you sticking around here!" She opened the door and pushed him out.

"Aww, I'm just curious." Greg said, folding his arms.

"You should probably go out and get Sophia a gift. You should be curious about what you're going to get her." Ravu said, as she shut the door in his face. Greg frowned and muttered a few words under his breath, before heading off towards Market Street.

* * *

A boy, with shaggy, dirty blonde hair turned and smiled at Sophia, as they walked down the street. He wore a gray shirt with a white design on it, and blue jeans with white and black shoes.

"Brandon, I really should be getting back home. Greg and Ravu are probably worried about me." Sophia yelled over the crowds of people, as she grabbed Brandon's shoulder.

But Brandon just kept walking, pulling her along. He was, probably, Greg's closest friend, besides Tami and Ravu. He was, what the others called, the goofy one from the bunch. He would never be prepared for anything, and would have some wacky story to go along with it. But he was a true friend at heart, always looking to the bright side of things.

The said boy just smiled. "Nonsense, Miss Sophia! Greg went off on his trip today, and Ravu is doing some after school activity. They don't even know you're gone!" Brandon shouted back. "Anyway, it's your birthday today, isn't it?"

The question shocked Sophia. She had never told Brandon her birthday…or had she? Her memory was really getting bad now that age was catching up with her. She could no longer do the things she loved to do, like shop till she dropped. Instead, she was more of a mother figure, taking care of Greg and Ravu as best as she could.

Had they forgotten about her birthday, as well? She had even forgotten it was her birthday, so she really didn't expect for those two to remember. Besides, Greg's memory was a lot worse than hers, at times.

"Why yes it is, Brandon. But what does that have to do with you pulling me through Market Street? You know I don't come here around this time. I'm supposed to be home making supper."

"Don't worry, that's already taken care of." Brandon murmured, but Sophia was unaware of what he was saying, since the crowd was a lot louder than he was. He looked back at her and smiled again. "I'm going to take you shopping!" He yelled, surprising the woman. "I know how you don't have time to shop, but today is the day you can! I'm paying for everything!"

Sophia felt a surge of happiness go through her body; someone was actually celebrating her birthday. But she couldn't allow Brandon to pay for everything she wanted. It wouldn't be right. Still, it made her happy to know that someone cared, even if they weren't two people in particular.

Sophia shook her head and stopped Brandon. "No, Brandon, it's okay. I'm don't need anything. Let's just-"

"Nope, Miss Sophia! Today is your day, remember!" Brandon shouted back, still smiling.

The young boy wasn't at all kidding, even though he was only to stall her until later. He really wanted to get her something nice. Even though she wasn't his mother, she was just like one to him.

Sophie frowned, knowing that she had no way to get out of this. The only thing left to do was to give in and go shopping with the boy.

And so they did…

"Okay, that'll be 725.00 munny, please." The store clerk said, as he finished ringing up the several pairs of clothes Sophia had picked out, as well as a piece of candy that Brandon wanted.

Brandon reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet. His eyes widened as he counted his munny. "Oh man…didn't think it would be THAT much.." He murmured to himself, as he counted out 500, exactly, placing it on the counter.

"Is there a problem, sir?" The store clerk asked, peering over the desk, slightly.

"No, no problem here!" Brandon lied, as he tried to look for a bit more munny.

Sophia placed a hand over her mouth, realizing what Brandon was doing. She leaned over to him. "Don't worry Brandon, I don't need some of this stuff."

Brandon sighed and looked up, after having any luck at finding extra munny. As he stared down at the ground, he failed to notice the familiar face walk past him.

"Here ya go." Greg said, handing the man 225 munny. "That should do it, right?"

The clerk counted the munny and nodded, handing the bags over to the customers. Brandon couldn't help but smile.

"Greg thanks a lot man!" He said, putting his wallet away. Greg picked up the bags, handing a few over to Brandon.

"It's the least I could do." Greg replied with a smile. He looked over at Sophia. "Happy Birthday, Sophia!" He said with a much bigger smile. Sophia felt tears swell up at the edges of her eyes, as she hugged the boy. "Uh…."

"Thank you, Greg! And you too, Brandon!" She whispered, pulling the boys closer to her.

"Uh…Miss Sophia…you okay?" Brandon asked, raising an eyebrow. Sophia withdrew from the hug and wiped her eyes.

"Yes, I'm fine." She said, smiling. "Now let's get back home."

As she finished that sentence, the boys shook their heads.

"No!" They shouted, resulting in a strange stare from Sophia.

"Why not?" She asked. She narrowed her eyes. "You boys aren't up to something, are you?"

"No, no, not today, anyway." Greg responded.

"Yeah, we just want to continue shopping with you. Everything is on us…well, erm…Greg!" Brandon began to laugh softly. As Sophia began to protest, Greg pushed her softly towards the door.

"Nope, you heard the boy! We're still shopping!"

**Destiny Island…**

The bare feet of the auburn haired girl dipped into the sand, as she walked across the beach. She could feel the weight of worry, as it continued to fall off of her shoulders. Kairi gazed out at the water, thinking back to the little adventure they had all returned from, only six months ago.

And then, she thought of Sora…

The carefree teen, with the crazy hairstyle, had been through so much over the past 2 years, after losing her and Riku, and having to search on his own to find them both. Well, not entirely on his own, he had friends to help him along the way, of course. But just thinking about it made Kairi a bit uncomfortable. She couldn't help but think of what Sora had been through.

Upon returning to the island, she could see that Sora and Riku were both tired, exhausted even. But after being back, for a least a month, the two were back at it; they're little rivalry. Always challenging one another to some sort of small event, to see who would come out on top. One would think they would want to relax for a bit more, but they proved otherwise.

The young female smiled as she thought of the smiling faces of the two boys, whom she called her best friends. Just having them back and knowing they were okay were enough to bring a smile to her face.

But her smile faded as she caught glimpse of something reflecting the rays of the sun. She winced slightly, as the light temporarily blinded her eyes. Curious, she made her way towards the shining object to find a glass body washed up on shore. She knelt down and picked it up.

"What's this?" She asked herself, as she stared at it. There was a slip of paper inside, wrapped in a familiar looking seal. Kairi dusted the wet sand off and took a closer look inside. Her eyes widened at the seal of the King.

"The King?" Kairi knew immediately what she had to do. At that moment, she broke into a sprint, heading towards the sidewalk and grabbing her shoes. She slipped her shoes on quickly and ran down the sidewalk. She needed to get a boat and head over to the old play island…she had to find Sora and Riku…

* * *

The young Keyblade Master wandered his way across the sand, letting his feet lead him. With his arms rested behind his head, in one of his famous positions, he found himself thinking back to his many battles over the past two years; his battle with the Heartless, Ansem, and the leading Nobody, Xemnas. Both battles were to save his friends, and both battles he had triumphed over. Of course, Riku had helped him against Xemnas, and he wasn't sure he could beat Xemnas without his friend's help.

As his thoughts raced, thinking of all the friends he made and all the new places he got to see, a silver haired teen caught his eye. Riku.

The said male was sitting on a tree, off in the distance, enjoying the sunset. What better way to end the day!

Sora increased his walking pace, which turned into a jog. He ran up the small slope and over the bridge, coming up on the tree his friend was sitting on. Upon reaching the tree, he placed his hands on it and pushed himself up and over the tree, landing carefully on his feet. He straightened his form and leaned back against the trunk of the tree, placing his hands behind his head, once again.

Riku didn't seem surprised to see Sora join him. In fact, it was bound to happen. They would also find themselves here, staring out at the sunset and at the possibilities that were beyond the horizon. But this time, it was different. He was just happy to be home, with his friends and family.

"Nothing's changed, huh?" Riku spoke, breaking the small silence between the two males.

"Nope," Sora replied with a smile. "Nothing will."

Riku smiled, thinking back to their adventures. "What a small world." He murmured, his eyes still gazing out at the ocean.

"But," Sora began. "Part of one that's much bigger."

"Yeah."

Sora thought back to when they returned, the Door To Light that saved them from living in that dark realm. He had thought about it at times, but he always thought it had something to do with Kairi and the letter she wrote.

He glanced up at Riku. "Hey Riku…what do you think it was-the door to the light?"

Riku felt a smile grace his lips as he jumped from the tree and onto the ground. Sora couldn't help but straighten his form as his friend landed beside him.

Riku pointed to Sora's chest, his heart. "This."

"This?" Sora asked, placing his hand over his chest. He wasn't quite getting it at the moment. But that only made Riku smile.

"Yeah, it's always closer than you think."

Sora couldn't help but smile, as he finally got was Riku was trying to say.

"Sora! Riku!" The said boys turned towards the voice to see Kairi sprinting over the bridge and towards them, with something in her hand. They watched as she came up to them and bent over, panting heavily.

"Hey! What's up?" Sora asked.

"Look!" Kairi replied, holding the bottle up to Sora's face, causing the boy to raise an eyebrow. He looked closer and could see the seal of the King on a letter, inside.

"From the King?" He immediately took the bottle from her and opened it, shaking it on his hand in order to retrieve the letter. He quickly un-rolled it and looked at it.

Riku could only smile at what the note might bring, as he peered over his friend's shoulder to look at the letter. Kairi did the same, only her look was of exhaustion, from running all the way to them, and of worry.

As the trio read it, a questioned look appeared on the their faces.

"I wonder what's going on?" Sora asked, as he looked at his friends. "You think trouble is rearing its ugly head again?"

"Could be." Riku murmured, looking up from the letter.

"What do we do?" Kairi asked.

"We do exactly what the letter says." Sora replied, almost instantly. "We leave tomorrow night, okay?" He looked at the faces of his two friends.

"Right."

"Yeah."

**Ragnias City, Sophia's Home…**

Brandon rushed through the door, quickly slamming it behind him. As soon as he did so, everyone yelled "Surprise!" He looked at the living room, which was decorated with balloons and such. Many people were sitting in the living room, but not too many. Brandon's parents were there, as well as Tami's parents.

Ravu stomped to the door, with two girls following her, one of which was Tami.

"Brandon! What is wrong with you?! We thought you were Sophia!" Ravu snapped.

"Sorry," Brandon replied innocently. "I just came to warn you that Sophia is almost here." He then looked at the third girl, behind Ravu and Tami. "And…uh…who is that?"

Tami blinked in confusion, but then smiled when she saw Brandon point to the girl behind her. "Oh, this is Leah. She's a friend from school."

Leah wore a red tank, a pair of stonewash jeans with suspenders, and a pair of black shoes with zippers. Over her tank, she wore a black, short-sleeved coat that came down to her knees, which was cut in the back from the hip and down. Gold lining and two gold strips decorated her sleeves, hood and collar. On her back was the image of a golden star, along with a golden crown and six golden wings.

To say the least, her outfit was very detailed, and Brandon could see that clearly. But what really surprised him were her golden green eyes. Sure, he had seen green eyes before, after looking at Tami's almost every single day, but he had never seen golden green eyes before. But her long, brown hair made it hard to see her right eye, as it seemed to cover up her right eye.

"Oh…well….it's nice to meet you." Brandon said, extending his right hand.

Leah extended her as well and shook it. "Likewise." She murmured.

"Okay, you two can talk later." Ravu said, as she looked out the window. She glanced back at the others. "Quick, someone hit the lights, here they come!"

The lights slowly dimmed and the sound of voices could be heard outside the house. The footsteps of two people could be heard approaching the door.

Ravu's eyes went back towards the people in the room. "Everyone, remember what to do?" She heard a bit of affirmative answers from the people, except for Brandon, who made a "what do we do?" kind of sound.

The door peered open and Greg was the first to walk in. He looked around, trying to find the lights.

"Sophia, where the heck are the lights?" He asked, pretending not to know.

"Oh Greg, you know exactly where they are." Sophia said, as she walked into the house and closed the door. As soon as she did, Greg flipped on the lights…

"SURPRISE!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SOPHIA!!" Everyone yelled, almost giving the woman a heart attack.

"Oh dear…" She said, cupping her hands over her mouth. She couldn't believe what was happening. Looking around the room, she could see quite a bit familiar faces, as well as a few students from Greg and Ravu's school.

Tears were beginning to form on the edge of her eyes, yet again. "Thank you, everyone!" She said with a smile. Everyone seemed to stand up and wandered toward her, continuously telling her happy birthday over and over again.

"Miss Sophia!" Tami spoke up, over the other guests. "We prepared a great gift for you! Come to the dining room!"

Sophia, still shocked, could only think of what it might be. Because she stood in the same spot, not daring to move, Greg grabbed her hand and led her into the dining room, with the guests following. When she got to the room, her breath was almost taken away immediately at the sight of the food filled table.

"Oh my God, who did all of this?" She asked, looking back at Greg, Brandon and Tami.

"I would love to say it was all of us, but the thanks will have to go to Ravu. She made all of this herself, just for you." Greg said, glancing towards Ravu, who stood at the table proudly.

"She did?" Sophia asked, glancing over at Ravu, who only nodded in return. The old woman could feel a bit of energy swell up inside her. "Everyone, let's eat!" She yelled, as she and the guests walked over to the table.

* * *

The party lasted a few hours, four at best, before everyone headed home. This only meant that Greg and the others had to clean up, which was the downside of throwing a party for a very special woman. But it was all worth it, in the end. After everything she had done for them, it was the least they could do. Besides, no one ever seemed to do anything for her.

Tami, Ravu and Leah found themselves cleaning the dining room and the kitchen, leaving the living room for the boys to clean. The dining room was not as dirty as one might think, after the guest would bring food and drinks into the living room and spill them. The boys had their work cut out for them this time.

"Where are the boys?" Sophia asked, as she finished cleaning the table. The girls had volunteered to clean the dishes, while she cleaned the table. Basically giving her the easy work.

"They're both cleaning the living room, why?" Tami asked, as she dried off a plate with the towel in her hand.

"Because today is a very special day." Ravu said, as she narrowed her eyes and smiled, as she stared into the soapy water. The blue haired girl looked peaceful, as she thought back.

Tami couldn't help but look confuse. Of course today was special, it was Sophia's birthday!

Leah, on the other hand, just continued to scrub down the dishes, not seeming to pay the others any mind. Though, it still peeked her interest.

"Well, today is your birthday, Miss Sophia, so it has to be a very special day." Tami said, breaking the silence.

"Well, yes, that is true." Sophia responded, as she walked into the kitchen area, laying the cloth, she used to clean the table with, on the counter. "But it's also the day we met Greg."

This only made Tami look even more confused. She knew Greg wasn't Sophia's son, but they had never brought up how they met.

"I remember it like it was yesterday." Sophia said, thinking back. "About seven or eight years ago, a week before today, my birthday, I was traveling back from the city of Rambosa. I found him alone, in the woods, near the edge of the city, holding some strange sword-thing."

"Strange sword thing?" Tami repeated. By now, Ravu and Leah had looked up from what they were doing, and looked at the woman.

"Did you say, a strange sword?" Ravu asked.

"Yes." Sophia replied. "It was strange because when I touched it, it disappeared."

If the strange sword part didn't surprise them, the disappearing part did. For some reason, Ravu had a sense of what the weapon was, and she felt that Leah did as well. Tami, on the other hand, was totally blind to the fact of what it was.

"Anyway," Sophia began, not wanting to dwell on the subject any longer. "Half way around this world, seven whole days, he slept. Until I reach Ragnias City, which is when he woke up. He didn't know where he was, or whom he was with, but he said something about finding a _Rebecca_ and a _Jason_. But I told him that I knew no such people. Unfortunately, he forgot all about them a few days later. He never spoke of them again."

"I remember that day." Tami said, as she spoke up. "On your birthday, I met him! My parents wanted to come over here and give you a gift, that is when I met him."

"That's the day we all met him." Ravu said, thinking back to the day. They were nothing but children back then, no older than six or seven.

Leah couldn't shake the feeling that she knew about the weapon Greg carried when he was found. It seemed too familiar, like a weapon she knew all too well.

"Well, it's getting late, so I should probably head on up to bed." Sophia told them, as she retreated towards the living room. "Goodnight girls." She said. "Goodnight boys." She said, walking through the living room. The girls could hear Brandon and Greg reply.

"I better go, as well." Leah said, as she finally finished washing her share of dishes. She wiped her hand with a dry towel and proceeded towards the living room door.

"Wait," Ravu said, as she wiped her hands as well. She gazed towards Tami, not wanting to leave her to finish the dishes on her own. "Can you finish up here? I want to walk Leah home."

"Sure, just tell one of the boys to come help me." Tami replied with a quick smile, her thoughts still dwelling on past memories.

"Will do!" Ravu replied, as she ran to catch up with Leah. As they walked into the living room, she noticed that Greg and Brandon had already finished and were watching television. Being typical boys.

"Guys, one of you needs to go and help Tami in the kitchen." Ravu said, as she opened the door. "Now!" She ordered, as she and Leah left, slamming the door behind them.

As if something were funny, Brandon let out a loud laugh and stood up from the chair, stretching his arms. He looked at Greg and laughed again.

"Well, dude, I better be getting home. My mom wants me to get home and…you know, clean my room." He laughed again and ran to the door, before Greg could get up. "Good luck with those dishes, bud!" He chuckled, running out the door.

Greg sighed in disbelief at his friend's actions. It was ordinary that Brandon does something like that, and he was quite used to it already.

He stood up and walked to the kitchen, where Tami was humming another tune. She looked up at him and smiled. "So, did Brandon ditch you again?" She asked.

Greg smirked. "How'd you know?" He replied, as he picked up a towel and began drying off the dishes.

"Because on occasions like this, you always end up cleaning dishes with either Ravu or myself, while Brandon skips out." Tami let out a small giggle, as she handed another wet dish to Greg.

"Well, that's Brandon for ya." Greg laughed. Tami laughed and bumped him in the side with her hip. He laughed again. "And Tami will be Tami."

"Yep, that's me." She laughed, fiddling with the dishes. She looked up at the clock, which read 11:45 p.m. "Man, it's getting really late."

Greg looked up at the ticking contraption. "Yeah, it is." He wiped his hands. "Well, come on, I'll walk you home."

"Oh! Really now?" Tami asked, wiping her hands on the towel. "When did you become such a gentleman."

Greg winced and turned around, back to the dishes. "On second thought, be safe when you walk home. I got to finish up here."

Tami laughed as she grabbed his arm and pulled him through the dining and living room, and through the door.

* * *

Streetlights lit up their path, as Ravu and Leah walked down the street, towards Leah's home. Not many people were out, if not any. Most had turned in for the night, and the people they did see on the streets were people that had just come from Sophia's big birthday party.

"Listen, Ravu," Leah said, breaking the silence between the two and drawing Ravu's attention. "I want to thank you, for inviting me to Miss Sophia's party. I don't really go to events like that."

"Don't worry about it, it's the least I can do, after helping me with my studying." Ravu replied with a smile.

"Yeah, well you didn't really need my help." Leah replied, as the two passed another street light. She thought back to the story Sophia had told them earlier. "So, Ravu, what do you think that sword was? I have a pretty good idea what it was, but it's hard to believe that he can wield one"

Ravu knew exactly what Leah was talking about. "You mean, the Keyblade?" She asked lowly, almost like a whisper.

"Yeah. Does it seem strange to you?"

Ravu was more shocked that Leah knew about the Keyblade, rather than Greg wielding on. After living with the said male for so long, and watching him fight, she knew he had to be hiding something.

"Well, no, not really." Ravu stopped walking. "But, how do you know about the Keyblade?"

"Even though we're friends, Ravu, there are a lot of things you don't know about me." Leah replied, as she stopped walking as well. The tail of her coat fluttered into the air, as a disturbing feeling washed over her. She turned around to see figures, dressed in tan, almost golden, like armor. When she looked down the sidewalk, she could see more of them approaching her and Ravu.

"Uh…what's going on?" Ravu asked, looking around. "What are you Rambosan soldiers doing here?"

"We came for the girl." One of the figures replied, stepping forward. He unsheathed his sword and pointed it at Leah. "You! Come with us, now!"

"You're kidding, right?" Leah said with a hint of laughter. "I don't even know who you guys are!"

"But we know who you are, Leah J. Seraphiel, a Keyblade Wielder from Traverse Town." Another soldier stated, as he stepped forward.

Leah's eyes widened as she heard her name come out of the soldier's mouth. She had no idea who these guys were, but they knew exactly who she was and where she was from. Something just didn't seem right about knowing that. Just who were these guys?

"I don't know where you heard that, but that doesn't mean I'm coming with you." Leah responded, throwing the soldiers a glare.

Ravu was in shock, now knowing that Leah was a Keyblade Wielder. Why hadn't she told anyone of her abilities? Surely, no one would look down upon her. But Ravu's train of thought was broken by the sound of guns cocking and swords being unsheathed. She glanced to the soldiers, whom were all preparing to attack Leah.

"Hey, what do you think you're doing!?" Ravu shouted, stepping in front of Leah. "You can't attack her! She doesn't have a weapon!" The girl lied.

"Shut that girl up, now!" The leading soldier ordered. Just as he did, two soldiers grabbed Ravu from behind, one of which covered her mouth so she couldn't yell.

The leading soldier chuckled and snapped his finger. Several soldiers began to approach Leah, who seemed un-wavered by their weapons. The girl could feel her hand tremble a bit, as she dared to call upon her weapon. Her golden green eyes scanned the area and the soldiers approaching, carefully. The metallic sound of their boots, against the ground, was all that could be heard, as they grew closer and closer to Leah.

In a flash of darkness, a Keyblade appeared in her hand, the Anti-Key. The blade was a deep black and the guard was a blood red.

As the Keyblade appeared in her hand, she sprinted forward quickly. The soldiers immediately began opening fire, but Leah dodged them without any trouble. She moved across the street with great speed and dodged the bullets gracefully. She danced her way close to the soldiers, giving herself some range. She then vanished, actually leaping into the air, confusing the soldiers.

"Where'd she go?" One asked.

"Up there-" As the soldier finished, Leah landed on his helmet, sending him to the ground. Using the soldier, she propelled herself at two more soldiers, slamming the Anti-Key into one's helmet and kicking the other to the ground. She landed on the ground, picking up one of the soldier's swords, and sprinted forward, almost as if she was invisible.

She appeared to the right of several soldiers, on the wall, actually. She pushed off and sent her Keyblade forward, in a move known as a Strike Raid. The Keyblade glided through the soldiers, knocking them in every direction possible. As Leah landed on the ground again, she brought up the sword she had picked up and, without looking, and blocked one of the soldier's attacks.

Her eyes traveled to the attacking soldier, gazing through his visor. She could feel the soldier trembling in fright, as the vibrations traveled through the sword.

"You're scared?" She asked. But before the soldier could answer, the Anti-Key flew out of the sky and slammed into the side of his helmet, knocking him to the ground. Leah grabbed the Keyblade before it hit the ground and looked around. Only a few soldiers were left; the soldiers holding Ravu hostage.

Her golden green eyes stared at the remaining soldiers. "Let her go."

Most of the soldiers were frightened, but the leading soldier, who had ran over when Leah started her attack, stepped forward.

"You're good, I'll give you that. But," He brought out a dagger from under his armor and held it to Ravu's neck. "I doubt you're fast enough to save your friend here." Ravu, however, didn't even seem worried. She just glanced down at the dagger.

"I said, let her go." Leah repeated, as she began to approach the soldiers.

"We will, if you come with us." The man chuckled, as he pressed the dagger against Ravu's neck. Again, Ravu seemed un-wavered.

"You guys really don't know who you're messing with." Ravu murmured, drawing the attention of the soldiers. She pushed back, sending the two soldiers, who were still holding her, back as well. As they hit the ground, Ravu flipped backwards and onto her feet. She extended her right hand to her side, where flames began to appear and form something, a Keyblade.

The guard and blade of the Keyblade were both black. Though, the blade contained a few red and orange flame designs on it. The blade structure was jagged and razor sharp, and some pieces of the blade were shaped like small flames. The blade was known as the Fallen Phoenix.

"What?! Another one!?" The leading soldier exclaimed, backing away. But he didn't back far, as Leah came into view. The remaining soldiers drew their weapons, in hopes that they would frighten the girls off.

But Ravu continued to glare at the soldiers, her fiery orange eyes seeming to melt into their souls. With a burst of speed, she attacked, running straight towards the leading soldier. She noticed another soldier draw his gun and aim it at her, causing her to vanish. She reappeared in front of the soldier and kicked him in the chest, sending him into the wall with a loud thud. She turned and vanished again, just in time to dodge several bullets that were fired off at her.

Suddenly, one by one, a fireball, from the sky, attacked each soldier causing them to fall on the ground. Soon, the only soldier left was the leading soldier, himself. Ravu landed on the ground, next to Leah, and stood up, both glaring at the soldier. The soldier looked at his men, and then at the girls.

"You…you two! We'll be back for you too!" The soldier shouted, as he rushed off into the night.

Ravu let out a sigh, as she watched the soldier disappear into the shadows. Her Keyblade dispersed into a pile of ashes, which were blown away by the wind. Leah's Keyblade, as well, dispersed, into a dark mist.

"I had no idea you could wield a Keyblade as well." Leah implied, glancing over to Ravu.

"Well, now the secrets out." Ravu said, laughing slightly. She rubbed the back of her head. "So…please don't tell anyone, okay?"

"Yeah, your secrets safe with me." Leah replied, giving the girl a nod.

"But not with me!" A voice called out from the roof. Both girls looked up to see…

_Moments earlier…_

"So you had to buy Sophia everything?!" Tami exclaimed, as she and Greg walked down the sidewalk alone. "What did Brandon buy her?"

Greg let out a laugh. "Well, he put about 500 in, but the rest was all me." He replied, placing his hands in his pocket.

"Well, that's very nice of you." Tami said, as she smiled at him. Greg, as usual, smiled back. He would always smile at her, for some strange reason. He and Ravu had a different relation though, like a sibling rivalry. And he and Brandon… combined together; they were the worst troublemakers in the city. But Tami felt like her relationship with him was different, like it was meant to be more. Yet, Greg never acted like it was supposed to be that way, so maybe she was just wrong. Maybe she was just…thinking too much, as usual.

Of course, she knew Greg liked her, just not as much as she liked him. It was actually kind of strange, once Tami thought about it. They had been friends for the longest, and she had always had a crush on him. It just seemed like they were always going to be friends, nothing more, so she never acted upon the feelings she had for him. In fact, she would ignore them, completely. She would receive gifts from him, on the holidays, but would think he was only being nice. She would repay him with a simple gift, nothing more, nothing less.

She had found out only a few months ago, three to be exact, that Greg actually did like her. But this information was coming from none other than Brandon, and he was known to joke around 75 of the time, as said by Greg. But what if he were speaking in that other 25? What he was telling the truth? Tami highly doubt that though, since Brandon was the goofball of the bunch. Still, it was a nice thought.

"It was the least I could do, for what she has done for me." Greg replied, as he looked down the street, still smiling. He could see Tami's house coming up, right ahead. He thought that maybe it'd be better if he stopped here and said his goodnight, since Tami's parents really didn't like for him to take her home this late. Better yet, they didn't like him going anywhere with her, alone, they always assumed he was "up to no good", which was not entirely a lie. After hanging with Brandon for so long, one would think he was doing things he wasn't supposed to.

But he knew his boundaries, not like he was going to take advantage of her. She was one of his closest friends and he would never try to do anything that would ruin their friendship. Not even giving her a small kiss, as a means to thank her for something. He would just say his "thank you" and go on with life, never dwelling on what-ifs much.

But there were times that he did dwell on them. Nights where all he could think about were "what-ifs" But they were nothing more than that, just "what-ifs" It was true though, he did have feelings for the girl, pretty strong feelings, actually. He just had a weird way of showing it, if he ever showed them at all, which he doubts he ever did. Something like him and Tami seems so unreal, so unclear, that he just doesn't like to think about it much. Because, in his mind, it will never, ever happen.

"Yeah, I know. She's done a lot for all of us, you know." Tami said, as she saw her house a few meters away. She stopped on the sidewalk, causing Greg to stop as well. The boy raised an eyebrow, wondering, exactly, what she was doing.

"You know, today is the day we first me…" She murmured softly as she looked at the ground, a small smile gracing her lips. Her emerald eyes gazed up at Greg, who seemed to be thinking. She only giggled slightly and took a few steps forward with her hands behind her back.

"Yeah…it is, isn't it?" Greg replied, thinking back to that day. "It's also the day I arrived in Ragnias City. I had no idea I would meet so many people here." He looked at Tami who had walked a bit further.

"That day…it was amazing." Tami said lowly, as she giggled. "Your first kiss, wasn't it?" She asked, looking at him from the corner of her eye.

Greg could feel his face heat up with embarrassment. "Well, I was only seven at the time…so…" He could hear Tami laugh. He watched as she spun on her heel, looking back at him.

"Don't be so embarrassed, it was my first too, you know!" She let out another laugh and backed up a bit further, towards her house. "And I'm not complaining." She smiled at him.

Greg let out a laugh and walked up a few steps, before Tami held up a finger. Greg raised his eyebrow in confusion.

"Hold on, I want to give you something." Tami said, as she rushed to her door. She pulled a key out of her pocket and opened the door, running quietly inside. Greg just blinked as he watched the girl disappear into the darkness of the house.

Greg took a look at the house. It was pretty much the same size as Sophia's, maybe a bit bigger, he couldn't really tell. Outside, flowers surrounded the home of his friend, as well as a tree in the middle of the yard and a railing surrounding the porch.

He walked up to the porch and leaned against the railing, looking up at the starry sky. He inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly, as he closed his eyes, taking in the peaceful moment.

"I can't believe it's 12:00 already." Tami's voice cut through the silence, causing the boy to jump slightly. He had forgotten he was at her home, after being caught up in the moment. He looked over at the girl and at the box she held in her hand. It was an ordinary small, blue box, about the size of a tennis ball.

Tami walked up to him and held it out. She could feel her heart beginning to pound, threatening to burst out of her chest at any given moment. Her arms were shaking out of nervousness, but the shadows were able to hide it.

"Here…it's for you…" Tami mumbled, as she looked at the box, avoiding his eyes that were probably questioning her.

And they were. Greg looked at Tami, then at the box, and then at Tami again. She continued to look at the box as she held it out for him to grab.

"What for?" Greg asked, as he took the box from her hand. He failed to notice her trembling, due to the fact that he was trembling slightly as well, because of the same reason.

"I just wanted to get you something. It was meant to be a birthday present, but after remembering all those years ago, I feel that I should give it to you now." Tami said, as her eyes traveled up and met his. Though it was dark, she could see his eyes clearly. It was almost as if they were glowing.

Greg smiled and looked down at the box. "What is it?"

"Open it and see." Tami said, as she looked down at the box as well.

And so, he opened the box. Inside was a small, silver charm, shaped like a key. Attached to the charm was a silver chain Greg stared at the necklace for a moment, as he raised it into the air. He placed the box down on the railing and continued to look at it. His eyes then traveled to Tami, who was staring at him. Her eyes were waiting…waiting for a reply.

Greg smiled. "I love it. Thanks." He replied. Tami let out a small breath of relief.

"I was afraid you weren't going to." Tami said, as she lowered her gaze and laughed a bit.

Greg thought for a moment and his smile faded quickly. He had nothing to give her; he had never given thought of the day they met. "But…I have nothing to give you…"

"Don't worry, it's fine." She said, looking up at the boy, who seemed a bit closer than before. Did she move forward? Or did he move? But it didn't really matter, not now.

"But it doesn't feel right now getting you anything." Greg replied, as he gazed into her eyes. Again, Tami protested with a sigh.

"I said, don't worry about it." She said, still smiling. She was sure of it now, one of them was moving closer, and she didn't feel herself move at all.

"But I'm going to get you something, you know that, right?" He asked, almost like a whisper, as he crept closer. As he moved closer, Tami could hear and feel heart pound against her chest. She wondered if he could hear it too.

"Yeah…I know…" She replied lowly, almost in the same tone he was in. She could feel herself pushing to get closer to him, slowly. "But I don't need anything…Just…" She let her eyes close slowly, as he did the same, growing closer and closer to each other. She could practically feel him breathing, and was sure that he could feel her doing the same.

Greg could feel her presence right in front of him, as he continued to close in. His heart was racing and thrashing against his chest, as if gone crazy. He could feel her brush against him, as he continued to close in.

And then, he heard her words…

"Just…you…"

As those words left Tami's mouth, a loud crash sounded through the night, shattering the peaceful and heart throbbing moment the two shared. They back away from each other quickly, and looked out towards the street.

"_What was that?_" Greg asked within his mind, as he looked off in the distance. He could hear shouting, and was pretty sure Tami could too. He looked back at the girl, who held her chest, as if trying to stop her heart from beating. Greg, too, felt his still beating uncontrollably.

"Well, I should probably head home." He said, breaking the silence between them.

"Yeah, there is no telling what goes on out here, at this time." Tami replied, avoiding his gaze. Greg gave her a quick hug.

"Thanks, again, for the necklace." He said, as he backed away and walked off the porch. He waved once again before running off into the night.

Tami just watched as he disappeared into the darkness. Her mind was racing, yet again; about the boy she called "Best Friend". But it was late, and she knew she shouldn't stay up thinking about what just happened, or what that crazy noise was that ruined the moment. No, she decided today was finally over and returned inside her house in order to head to bed.

But Greg had other plans. He had to find out what that sound was. From what he heard from the voices, it was something about a "Keyblade".

He raced down the street, still hearing the voices on the next street over. Instead of going all the way around, he leapt onto a house with one jump and rushed across, just in time to witness Ravu and that Leah girl, from the party, take care of the armored goons.

"I had no idea you could wield a Keyblade as well." He heard Leah say, glancing over to Ravu.

"Well, now the secrets out." Ravu replied, laughing slightly. She rubbed the back of her head. "So…please don't tell anyone, okay?"

"Yeah, your secrets safe with me." Leah responded, giving the girl a nod.

"But not with me!" Greg shouted, as the two looked up at him on the roof.

"Greg!" Ravu shouted, her eyes widening. "Did you just see….?"

"No, I didn't see everything." Greg leapt from the roof of the building and onto the ground. "But I saw enough. I saw…" He walked forward.

"The Keyblades…"

* * *

"I see." Greg murmured, after Leah and Ravu explained what had happened. The three were sitting on the sidewalk, discussing what had just happened only moments ago, save the moment Greg and Tami shared.

Greg wasn't surprised, not one bit, about Ravu and Leah wielding the Keyblades. Besides, he was able to use one as well.

"What were you doing out here, anyway?" Ravu asked, as she pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. She glanced at her 'brother', awaiting an answer.

Greg gazed down at the necklace that Tami had given him. "Well, I was walking Tami home when I heard a crash."

Ravu eyed the necklace strangely, as she watched Greg place it around his neck. She felt the need to ask him about it, but she knew she'd have time later.

"Greg," Leah began, breaking the short silence between the three. "You don't seem that surprised about the Keyblade. Why is that?" She asked, staring at the boy, who was sitting about two feet away.

The young boy knew he couldn't tell them the truth, not yet anyway. He had to keep his past, and his involvement with the Keyblade, a secret, as long as he could.

"No reason." Greg responded, failing to look at the girl. But Leah wasn't convinced; she knew he was hiding something. The boy glanced over at her, finally. "Where were they after you?"

Leah shrugged, not sure of the reason herself. But knowing that the Rambosan Army had info on her made her a bit uncomfortable, if not worried.

"I don't really know." She responded.

"It's rumored that the King of Rambosa wields a Keyblade." Ravu said, as she looked at them.

Leah nodded in agreement and thought back to what a man named Sephiroth had told her. "My teacher spoke about the King of Rambosa once. He said something about the King's children and the Twilight Trio."

Ravu raised an eyebrow. "I heard the King's children died in some freak accident?"

The question sent a shocking pain through Greg's body, as he thought back to the day they escaped. Was it true? Did _they_ really die?

"I was only told what I just told you, so I don't know anymore than that." Leah replied. "But do you know the names of the children?"

Ravu shook her head. "Nope, never learned who they were. But that still doesn't explain why they were after you?"

"Beats me." Leah replied.

"Maybe we should go to Rambosa and find out." Greg suggested, drawing the attention of the two. His eyes were fixed on the ground, where he seemed to stare off into space. Just what did happen that night they tried to escape? He couldn't help but wonder. He had to find out.

"Go to Rambosa and find out?" Ravu repeated, throwing the boy a strange glance. "Are you out of your mind?!" She exclaimed loudly.

"No, but you want answers, right?" Greg asked, looking at the two girls. "I say we go and find those answers." He looked down at the ground. "I have a few questions of my own that need answering…"

"But-"

"I agree with your brother, Ravu." Leah added. "I'd like to know why they know my name and where I'm from." She glanced at Ravu and Greg. "And there is no doubt that they'll come back here, looking for me, and you, Ravu. We should go to Rambosa and find out what's going on."

Ravu lowered her gaze, trying to think. "I suppose you're right…" She knew that they'd return and try to capture her, as well as Leah, because of their powers over the Keyblade. There wasn't really a choice in the matter; either stay in Ragnias City and risk getting caught, or go and find out what's going on…and still risk getting caught.

She let a smile form on her face. "Okay, we'll go."

"Okay." Greg replied. "But it's going to take seven days, from what Sophia told us. We should probably get our supplies tomorrow and leave by night.

"Then that's what we'll do." Leah responded as she stood up. Her golden green eyes gazed down at the two teens. "We should all head home. I have a feeling we're going to have a long day tomorrow."

"Yeah." Ravu said, as she and Greg stood up. "Where should we meet, tomorrow?"

"The beginning of Market Street?" Greg asked, looking between the two female faces for an answer. The two nodded. "Okay then," He turned and headed down the street with Ravu behind him

"We'll see you tomorrow, Leah!" Ravu shouted with a wave, as she and Greg disappeared into the darkness. They both failed to notice the wings sprout from Leah's back, as she took to the skies.

* * *

Greg and Ravu arrived back home shortly after parting ways with Leah. They entered the house quietly and made their way upstairs, into their respective rooms.

After taking a bath and changing clothes into something more suitable for sleeping, a pair of shorts and a shirt, Greg threw himself on his bed. He placed his hands behind his head and looked around his room. It was nothing strange, just an ordinary room. A bed, of course, a bookshelf, little pictures here and there, a lamp, and his closet and bathroom. A window was on the far side of the room, shrouded by white curtains. His blue walls seemed in sync with the white curtains.

His eyes traveled to the ceiling, as he thought back to the events of today, the birthday party, and his walk the Tami, the Keyblades and the armored goons. He let his eyes close slowly, as he felt himself falling onto the edge of unconsciousness.

"Hey, you up?" A voice asked, breaking the silence. Greg peaked his eyes opened to see Ravu staring in his face, her fiery orange eyes blinking curiously. The boy jumped slightly at the sight, which made Ravu back away and frown.

"Yeesh, I'm not that scary!" She snapped at him. He laughed and looked at her.

She had changed as well, into a pair of short-shorts and a tank with her hair tied back into a ponytail. She propped her hands on her hips and gave him one of her famous stares.

"What do you want, Ravu?" Greg asked, as he leaned up. Ravu sighed and sat on the edge of the bed, folding her arms.

"It's nothing," Greg could sense her mood change quickly as she muttered those words. "Do you think we should let Brandon and Tami know that we're leaving? I mean, I think they'll want to go if we tell them, and it might be too dangerous, you know?"

This time, Greg let out a sigh of his own, as he flung his legs off the side of the bed, sitting up next to his _sister_. "Well, I think we should. I mean, it's going to be dangerous for us too. We don't exactly know what we're doing, right?"

"Yeah, you're right…"

"So we should tell them. If they tag along, I think they'll be more help than harm, don't you?" Greg asked, looking over at the blue haired girl.

"Yeah…well, not Brandon." Ravu joked, as she laughed. Greg couldn't help but laugh with her. But their laugh slowly faded when they thought about Sophia and what she might say.

"Do you think Sophia will let us go?" Ravu asked. Before Greg could reply, Ravu began to speak again. "No, we are not going to lie to her, Greg!"

"Then we'll have to tell her the truth then." Greg replied, looking down at the ground. Ravu wasn't too sure Sophia would even agree to it.

"We'll tell her tomorrow then, both of us." She looked over to see Greg fiddling with the necklace around his neck, as he stared blankly at the ground. It had been bothering her for the longest, that necklace.

"So…where'd you get that?" Greg looked over at Ravu to see her pointing at the necklace around his neck.

"Oh, it was a present from Tami." He replied, as he toyed with it.

"I see…so that's what that key is for…" Ravu murmured, thinking about another necklace that Tami had. "You know…she really likes you…"

Greg's eyes slowly widen, as those words left Ravu's mouth. Ravu had to be telling the truth because she disliked telling lies. The boy couldn't help but smile, his eyes narrowing as he thought of the girl.

"You think so?" He asked.

"Yeah, I do." Ravu replied, as she stared at the key charm. She then sighed and stood up, making her way to the door. "You like her too, don't you?" She smiled as Greg fought with himself to try to answer. "Of course you do." She giggled, as she left the room. Greg stood up and hurried after her.

Ravu walked across the hallway and opened the door to her room, before turning around to see what Greg wanted.

"Ravu…what did you mean when you said _'that's what that key is for'_?" The teen boy asked, as he looked into her room, and then at her. He could see the bright yellow walls from the doorway.

"Nothing…nothing at all." Ravu smiled as she walked into the room and slowly began to close the door. "She's already given you the key, you should be able to figure the rest out." She said, closing the door in his face.

Greg blinked for a few seconds before knocking on the door, since it was probably locked. "What in the world does that mean!?" He shouted.

"Go to bed, Greg!" Ravu's voice demanded from inside the room.

The boy turned and headed back into his room, his mind racing with even more thoughts. He closed the door and turned off the light, preparing himself for bed. With thoughts of the day, and what tomorrow might bring, he was soon asleep.

* * *

**Not really an action-packed chapter, but it turned out okay. I tried to add a bit more detail and a few more emotions. Sorry if the bit of fluff was/wasn't fluffy enough. Haha!**

**Anyway, R&R please.**


	2. Chapter 2: Decisions

**Xergg: Okay, well here's the next chapter. I did really get where I wanted to, but I felt it was un-needed. Anyway, read on.**

* * *

Greg cringed, placing the pillow over his head. He tossed and turned, trying to get in the right position to drown out all sounds. He was unfortunate this time as he tossed the pillow off of his head and to the other side of the bed. He slowly opened his eyes and looked around, the bright rays of the sun shining through the window and onto his face.

The sound of loud music could be heard outside of his room, probably coming from Ravu's. He narrowed his eyes in an attempt to block the light, but to no avail. He pushed himself up and out of the light's path, giving birth to a yawn in the process. Greg then forced himself out of bed and walked to the door. He opened it and could see Ravu coming from her room, about to head downstairs.

"Ravu!" He called out, drawing the girl's attention. He could see that she was already dressed, sporting her usual clothes.

"What do you want?!" She asked, glaring at the boy for yelling at her. To Greg, it seemed she had forgotten all about the music.

"Can you turn down the music?" He asked, staring blankly at the girl. "I was trying to sleep."

Letting out a sigh, Ravu stomped back into her room and turned off the music. She returned to the hallway with a frown.

"Happy now?" She asked, folding her arms. She looked him up and down. "And why aren't you dressed?"

"Wha…?" Greg murmured, giving her a confused look. But he then realized what she was talking about, after the events of yesterday rushed back into his mind. "Oh, we were supposed to meet Leah, right?"

"Uh…duh…" Ravu replied, nodding her head slowly. "I'm going to go call Brandon and Tami, and tell them to meet us at the beginning of Market Street as well. While I'm doing that, you need to get those clothes on!" She exclaimed rather loudly, as she continued down the stairs.

The young boy made a face and returned into his room to prepare for the day.

**Minutes Later…**

"Brandon, don't be so difficult, okay! Just meet us at the beginning of Market Street!" Ravu shouted into the phone. She quickly hung up the phone before the boy on the other line could reply. "My God, it's like talking to a baby…"

The blue-haired teen could hear footsteps coming downstairs and she turned to greet the person in her usual tone.

"About time." Ravu murmured with a smile, as Greg came into the living room. He had on his usual garments, nothing out of the ordinary. Except for the silver chain hanging around his neck, the chain that Tami had given him yesterday.

Greg let out another yawn before waving and headed towards the kitchen. But before he could make it to his destination, Ravu grabbed his arm.

"We've got to get going, remember?"

"But…" Greg gave an innocent look and pointed towards the kitchen. "Food…"

"You should have woken up earlier." She snickered, as she pulled him to the front door. Greg just pouted as he followed behind her.

She forced the boy outside before turning and locking the door. Then, the two proceeded down the sidewalk, towards Market Street, in silence.

As usual, people were already roaming the streets and starting their day off on an early step, unlike some people. Not many people crowded the sidewalks, but there were a fair amount. Most of them, however, were adults, since most kids were probably going to sleep-in late on their day off from school, which was expected.

"By the way, where's Sophia?" Greg asked, breaking the short silence. He looked off in the distance and could see Market Street. "I didn't see her at home." He continued.

"She's out running some errands. You know her, never taking any breaks." Ravu replied, as she watched people pass by her. "I don't know where she went though. She only said she was going out to run some errands."

"You didn't tell her about…you know?" Greg asked, looking over at the girl.

"No, I said we were going to tell her together." Ravu gave him an annoyed stare, before looking ahead to see Leah.

The said girl was sitting on a nearby bench, waiting. She didn't seem frustrated, but it had looked like she had been waiting for a while.

"Hey, Leah!" Ravu called out, as she began to jog. She waved her hand through the air, grabbing Leah's attention. The girl looked up at her approaching friend and threw her a quick smile. "Sorry we're late. We would have been here sooner, if it wasn't for Greg."

"Don't worry, it's cool. I got here about five minutes before you, so I wasn't waiting long." Leah said as she stood up. "Anyway, should we get going?"

"No, not yet." Ravu replied, as she looked around. "We have to wait for Brandon and Tami, I told them to meet us here. Speaking of them, there they are." She pointed in the distance, at the two said people who were walking down the sidewalk.

Greg stared down the sidewalk, his eyes focusing on his female friend. In his eyes, she looked different. Her eyes reflected the sun's rays, which gave her emerald-colored irises a brilliant glow. Her blonde hair seemed to sway slowly in the wind, as if time had slowed down. And her body seemed to move in sync with the beat of his increasing heart rate, as she continued to draw closer and closer. In general, to him, she looked very, very pretty.

Truthfully, there was nothing different about Tami. So the sun was shining and reflecting off of her eyes, big deal? And the wind was blowing her hair around, so what? Greg thought about those questions and wondered why she seemed different to him. Maybe it was because of yesterday.

Tami questioned the fact that Greg seemed a bit different, upon arriving. He looked more muscular and a lot more handsome than yesterday. Something about him made her even more attracted to him, but she couldn't figure out what it was. She decided to forget the question after a moment or two.

"What's up, everyone?!" Brandon greeted them, forcing Greg out of his train of thought. The shaggy-haired teen gave a wave and a goofy smile to his friends.

"Hey, you two!" Ravu waved. "It looks like we all got here around the same time, which is good."

"What'd you call us here for?" Brandon asked, folding his arms. "Is there something we're supposed to know about?"

"Yeah, there is." Ravu replied. "We'll tell you what's going on, over some breakfast."

"Cool with me." Brandon shrugged. "I've already eaten, but I'm sure I could eat a bit more."

"You can always eat more." Greg laughed, as he put his arm around Brandon's neck and dragged him down the street.

"What can I say? I'm a growing boy!" Brandon chuckled.

Ravu sighed and shook her head in disbelief. "Eh…boys…"

"Do they always act like this?" Leah asked, since she hadn't really had a chance to get to know the two boys.

"Not always." Tami smiled, thinking of past events.

"But most of the time, they do." Ravu added, sighing again. The female trio began to follow the male duo down the street.

* * *

In the distance, carefully watching Greg and the others was a mysterious figure. The figure was dressed in nothing more than a brown cloak, with a hood that shrouded the figure's face. Streaks of white hair pierced through the darkness of the hood and hung down the figure's chest.

The figure was thin, and looked to be nothing more than a poor peasant. The figure's body was shaped in the form of a thin female.

"So that's Leah J. Seraphiel…" The figure murmured lowly in a feminine voice, as she watched the said girl. The figure's eyes then focused on Ravu. The hidden girl chuckled softly. "That must be the other Keybearer. They both look like pathetic excuses for wielders of the Keyblade."

"Come in, Agent Engel." A voice called out to her. The origin of the voice seemed to come from the cloak she wore, startling the girl. The girl reached into one of the pockets and retrieved radio-like device.

The girl put the radio up to her mouth. "Agent Engel here, go ahead."

"This is General Blazer." The voice said. Under the hood, the girl's eyes widened in shock. She had been expecting orders to be given to her by someone of a lower class, not the actually general.

"Y-Yes, General B-Blazer?" Agent Engel stuttered.

"Calm down, kid. You sound like you're afraid or something." The General laughed for a moment. "Anyway, have you spotted the Keyblade wielders?"

"Yes, I have. I have them in my sights, as we speak." Agent Engel replied, as she watched the group of teens walk off.

"Good, keep a close eye on them. We're sending in a squadron of Rambosan Knights to aid you."

Agent Engel blinked in confusion. Sending the royal knights would be pointless, the soldiers were a lot more suitable for the job. "Wait…why the Knights?"

"We want to make it look like they've committed a crime. We can't just barge in with guns and threaten to kill them. People will suspect something." The General explained.

"I-I understand."

"Good. Also, Lieutenant Colonel Ganboia will be accompanying the squadron. That Leah character is quite powerful, and the other Keybearer is probably just as strong. You can't possibly take both of them on, on your own."

Agent Engel was taken aback. She narrowed her eyes in anger, thinking someone could doubt her superb skill as a warrior. But then again, the General was about ten times as strong as she was, or so she thought.

"I..I understand, General Blazer."

"Okay. Be sure to report in, when the Keybearers are captured. General Blazer, over and out."

"Copy that." Agent Engel responded lowly, as she placed the radio into her pocket. "I don't need that idiot to handle these pathetic Keyblade Wielders. It's not like either one of them is the _Heiliger Krieger._"

The girl sighed heavily and made her way across the street, attempting to follow the teens.

**Destiny Islands…**

"Okay mom, I'll let Kairi know!" Sora yelled, as he rushed out of his home, his backpack slung over his shoulder. He closed the door and sighed, as he heard his mother still trying to talk with him.

"Man, it's going to be hard trying to tell her that I'm leaving again." He thought to himself, of the reaction his mom was probably going to have. He had told her of his adventures and everything that had happened over the year and a half that he was gone. She was more worried about his health, rather than the whole universe.

He shrugged, knowing he'd find some way of telling her, and ran off down the sidewalk. With the morning sun shining in his face, and the cool breeze washing over his body, he felt alive again. He felt more at home than he'd ever been.

It wasn't long before Sora found himself running across the beach. He was told to meet his two best friends on the island they used to play on. He was in such a hurry that he failed to notice the silver-haired teen training alone in the distance. But as the Keyblade Master hopped in one of the two boats, the white hair caught his eye.

"Riku…?" Sora murmured as he narrowed his eyes. "Yeah, it's gotta be him, with hair like that." He chuckled to himself and jumped from the boat, sprinting across the sand to meet up with his friend.

Riku's turquoise eyes focused on Sora, as he scurried across the beach towards him. He lowered his wooden sword and smiled at his young friend.

"Well, you're up early. What's the rush?" Riku asked, smirking as he walked over to his bag and picked up a bottle of water. He opened it and gulped it down, before placing it back into his bag.

"I thought we were going to meet on the island?" Sora asked, raising an eyebrow, as he stopped running and began panting.

"We are. We just didn't expect you to be up so early." Riku propped a hand on his hip. "So I told Kairi to take her time."

Sora frowned as he looked at his friend. It wasn't good to tell Kairi to take her time; she'd usually take an hour or two more than needed. Now they would have to wait for her. But it wasn't as bad as he thought. They really didn't have anything to do, other than think of a way to tell their parents about them leaving.

"I can't believe you told her that. You know how long she takes." Sora replied, tossing his bag to the ground, next to Riku's.

Riku reached down, beside his bag, and grabbed another wooden sword. "Then we'll just have to find a way to pass the time." He tossed the wooden sword to Sora, who managed to catch it without much trouble.

Sora threw his friend an eager smirk. "Are you sure about this?" He asked, getting into his usual fighting position. "I can't promise I'll go easy on you."

Riku grinned as he used his right hand to raise the sword up to eye level, entering his usual fighting stance. "Sora, you're like a little warm-up compared to others I've fought."

"Oh really?" Sora asked, raising an eyebrow. His smirk still plastered on his face.

"Yeah, really." Riku replied.

The two burst into a sprint and leapt at each other, the wooden swords clashing against one another. Riku withdrew from the clash with a simple leap backwards. But Sora took advantage of this and advanced quickly, his sword behind him and waiting to be swung.

He brought the sword around towards Riku's right side once he got in range, but Riku saw this coming and easily blocked the attack. Pushing Sora's sword arm away, Riku moved in and elbowed his friend in the stomach.

Sora winced in pain and grabbed his stomach with his freehand, as he leapt back and away from his opponent. Riku was fast and well trained, there was no way to get through his defenses unless he could overpower him or confuse him somehow. Sora knew he had to find a way to land a blow, but it was easier said than done.

"Come on, Sora. Don't tell me you're already willing to give up?" Riku smirked, as he used two fingers to urge his friend to attack him.

"Not a chance!" Sora shouted, as he sprinted forward, kicking up sand. He raised the wooden sword over his head and brought it down, only to have Riku block it. Sora gritted his teeth and increased the speed of his attacks, attacking Riku's sides. But, again, Riku managed to block without much effort. Sora withdrew with a growl.

"My turn." Riku murmured, as Sora traveled back through the air. The white-haired Keybearer sprinted forward with great speed, kicking up a wave of sand as he did. He swung his sword at Sora quickly, hoping to land a powerful blow on his friend.

This time, Sora saw it coming. He slammed his wooden sword down, forcing Riku's sword into the ground. In the same motion, Sora forced his sword into the ground and used it as support to stay in the air a bit longer. By doing so, Sora threw his legs forward and into Riku's chest, sending the boy back.

Riku tumbled to the ground, but quickly flipped back to his feet, with a smirk on his face.

"Not bad, Sora." Riku murmured, as he straightened his form.

"Heh." Sora laughed silently as he picked up Riku's wooden sword and tossed it to him.

The older teen caught the sword and advanced. He speed had increased, from Sora's point of view, as the teen appeared behind him, bringing the wooden sword forward.

Sora blocked by simply placing his wooden sword behind him. Once Riku's attack had ceased to go any further, Sora spun on his heel, bringing the thin weapon around in full swing. Riku stepped back and then arched his back and sent him into a backwards flip. The blade cut through the air above him, as he made his retreat.

He planted his shoes in the sand, feeling them sink into the sea of tiny pieces of shattered rock. "You almost had me there, bud."

Sora smirked, but didn't reply. Instead, he charged forward with a newfound speed. Riku followed suit, clashing his wooden sword against that of his friend's. The two began exchanging blows, quick and forceful blows. Each confrontation sent pieces of wood in different directions, until finally…

Riku found himself leaping back, as he tossed his broken weapon to the ground. "Never thought that'd happen."

"Me either." Sora responded as he threw his broken sword behind him. He outstretched his right hand, allowing the Kingdom Key to form within his grasp. Riku grinned as he, too, summoned his Keyblade, The Way to Dawn.

The two threw themselves at each other, yet again, but now with Keyblades at their disposal. The two Keyblade wielders quickly brought their Keyblades forward, clashing them into one another and creating sparks as the metals collided. A wave of energy was born from the collision, sending the sand underneath their feet outward, causing an engraved circle to form around them.

"Do you two ever take breaks?" A voice shot through the air, ringing into their ears. They leapt back and looked to for the origin of the voice.

Kairi walked through the sand, a pink bag on her back, and sighed. "I mean, honestly, you two are always doing something competitive."

"Hey Kairi." Riku simply replied, as his Keyblade vanished into the air.

"Aw, Kairi, why'd you have to interrupt?" Sora whined, his Keyblade disappearing in a bright light.

"Because we have other things to do. Like enjoy our last day on the islands and tell our parents that we're leaving." She replied

"Oh…right…I completely forgot." Sora said, his gaze lowering. She had said it like those were more important than a fight with Riku, which they were. But wasn't a fight with Riku enjoying his last day on the island?

Riku gave a small laugh. "Don't worry Sora, I forgot too."

"Thought so." Kairi said, throwing a glance at Riku. "Anyway, Selphie and the others are waiting for us on the island. We've planned a few things, like a couple of volleyball games, blitzball," Kairi began, as she counted on her fingers. She then made a weird face. "And some strange games that Selphie has come up with while we were gone…"

"Oh, great! It must be an excellent game if Selphie came up with it!" Sora said sarcastically with a laugh. He smiled and then walked off towards the boats, but not before stopping and turning to Riku. "Race ya!"

"You're on!" Riku smirked and began sprinting towards the boat. Sora laughed once again as he joined his friend, leaving Kairi behind.

"Hey! Wait!" She looked over at her friends' bags. "You're forgetting your bags!" She shouted. She sighed, realizing her friends weren't going to stop, and picked up the two bags.

"And there are only two boats! One of you better wait for me!" Kairi yelled, as she ran as fast as she could, trying to catch up with Sora and Riku.

**Ragnias City…**

Agent Engel stood outside of the city against a tree, waiting for her _'companions'_ to arrive. She was nearly pissed at the thought of the man, the Lieutenant Colonel, Ganboia. She would never like him; no matter how many times one of the Generals paired them together. To her, he was arrogant and hotheaded, and truly full of himself. He was a total idiot at times, blinded by his own rage and thirst for battle.

"I can't believe I'm going to have to work with this fool…. again!" She growled to herself, as she toyed with her dirt colored sleeve. But she quickly averted her eyes and stared off into the distance, where something seemed to be approaching her location at a great speed.

"Great!" She declared with sarcasm. "He's here sooner than I expected." she narrowed her eyes to try and increase her vision. She could see two truck/van-like vehicles swerving down the dirt-like pathway.

The truck was of a rusty tan color, but retained an amazing shine in the sunlight. The trucks were covered in a thick plate of rusty armor, and were about 25-30 feet long. The tires were fairly large, about 3x the height of Agent Engel.

The first truck skidded to a stop, with the second stopping behind it. Agent Engel could hear the engine power died down, as a large door flew open on the side of the truck. And with it came the smell of alcohol, which caused Agent Engel to look disgusted, since she knew exactly who was going to get out.

A large, man stepped out, covered in a clad of a brilliant, golden-like armor. The man's head was the only part of his body that wasn't covered in armor. His bald skull glistened in the sunlight, causing Agent Engel to narrow her eyes in order to look at him. His mustache extended to the middle of his cheeks and curved at the end. His small, beady, hazel colored eyes looked around the area once or twice, before focusing on Agent Engel, who remained shrouded by her hood.

"Well, well, if it isn't my little friend, Agent Engel." The large, bulky man said, as he fully stepped out of the truck, a large mace in his hand. He placed the large mace on his back, where it would wait to be drawn. "For what do I owe the honor?"

"Shut up." Agent Engel shot back, glaring at him from under her hood. "I know you've already been informed, Ganboia, by General Blazer, you idiot."

"Such harsh insults, already, Agent Engel?" The large man, named Ganboia, replied with a small chuckle. His voice was deep and would have sent chills down Agent Engel's spine, if not the fact that he didn't frighten her. If she wanted to, she could easily kill the man. But those weren't her orders.

"Now," Ganboia continued, the sound of laughter having disappeared from his masculine voice. "Where are these _Keyblade Wielders_? The ones I was told we'd have to take back to Rambosa?"

"They're currently in the city," Agent Engel simply said, as she turned and headed back towards the city.

"What?! Is that all you know?!" Ganboia shouted with a bit of anger.

"Oh quiet, I know where they are." She turned, her glowing eyes staring at him. "Market Street. They're on Market Street." In a blur, Agent Engel vanished.

"Not as useless as I thought." Ganboia grumbled, as he snapped his fingers. At the sound of his fingers, soldiers began to pile out of the trucks and line up behind him, a total of 40. The soldiers were disguised as royal knights, dressed in the same armor as their superior officer.

"Alright!" Ganboia turned to his fellow soldiers. "We march to Market Street! Grab those Keyblade Wielders, and head back home for some good R&R! Sound good?!"

"YEAH!!" The soldiers cheered, holding their weapons into the air, which consisted of guns, spears, swords and shields.

"Now! Let's move out!" Ganboia shouted, as he marched off into Ragnias City with his soldiers following him.

* * *

"So what you're telling us is that the Rambosan Army is looking for Leah? And you three plan to go to Rambosa and ask why?" Tami asked, recapping the story she and Brandon were just told.

The five teens were having breakfast in a small restaurant, on the far end of Market Street. They found themselves staying an extra hour, due to Brandon, who remained hungry even after destroying a pile of pancakes and some sausage. Though he ate like a homeless man, the boy never gained a single pound from it, which was weird.

Leah eyed the boy from across the table, with a disgusted look. How one kid could manage to eat so much, in so little time, was beyond her.

"Is that even healthy? Eating that much?" She asked, her eyebrow arcing upward.

"Doesn't matter if it's healthy, he'll still eat it." Greg chuckled.

"To answer your question, Tami, that's exactly what happened and that's exactly what we plan to do." Ravu spoke up, her eyes staring at Tami.

"Sounds pretty stupid to me." Brandon managed to say between chews. "I mean," He swallowed his food. "They were after Leah for a reason, right? Going to Rambosa will only help in their retrieval of her."

"Then you two don't have to go." Leah said flatly, as she stared at the boy. "We just wanted to inform you that we're going. Whether you go or stay is your decision, don't question our motives."

"My bad!" Brandon retorted nervously, as he smiled at the girl. "I wasn't questioning your motives…"

"He just thinks that your plan has no purpose." Tami backed up her friend.

"Yeah, that's it. And what if the soldiers attack you again? What will you do then?" Brandon asked, as he slid his pancake-less plate into the center of the table to join the three other empty plates.

"We fight." Ravu replied rather quickly. "Hello, we're Keyblade wielders!" She whispered, so no other person, besides the four people she was sitting with, could hear.

"Right, wielders of this…Keyblade thing…" Brandon wasn't sure that the title meant invincibility. He was sure there was a reason he hadn't heard anything about them.

"I thought that was just a legend, but I guess you two proved me wrong." Tami said, looking between Ravu and Leah. "I thought that only the King of Rambosa was a wielder of the Keyblade."

"No, there are lots more Keybearers." Leah sighed. "They just don't know that they contain the power to summon the Keyblade."

"So I could be a Keybearer?!" Brandon asked, his eyes widening with excitement.

"It's possible," Leah murmured, as Brandon began to dance around a bit. "But I highly doubt it." The boy ceased his dancing and looked blankly at the girl.

"Really?"

"Yeah, you're probably not a Keybearer."

"Anyway, back to the topic at hand, and the question that has yet to be answered," Ravu interrupted, drawing the attention of her fellow friends. Her orange colored eyes flashed from Tami to Brandon. "Are you two going with us, or not?"

Brandon and Tami exchanged glances and then stood up and made their way to the other side of the restaurant. After a few moments, they returned to the table, along with their decision.

"We've decided that…" Brandon stopped as he looked at Greg, Leah and Ravu, who waited for their answer, patiently. "…. We're going to tag along with you guys." He finished, resulting from a smile from Greg.

Brandon continued. "I know we won't be much help to you guys, but we figured that our sword-fighting skills could come in handle once in a while."

"That's great that you two are going with us!" Ravu cheered. "I was afraid we were going to have to leave without you two."

"I don't think so. Brandon would have eventually went after you three, dragging me along with him." Tami smiled sweetly.

"And now that you two have decided, we have to go tell Sophia and your parents." Greg felt his spirits sink as he finished those words.

"Wait…I completely forgot about my parents!" Tami declared, placing a hand on her forehead.

"Crap…" Brandon groaned, as he sat down and slammed his head on the table. "My parents aren't going to let me go."

"You don't know that." Ravu replied quickly.

"They aren't going to believe some weird story about Keyblades." Brandon shot back.

"Brandon's got a point." Tami began, as she took her seat. "How are you even going to explain this to Sophia."

"Don't remind us." Greg and Ravu murmured lowly, as they looked down at the table.

"Maybe you all should head home and start your convincing." Leah suggested. "We're supposed to be leaving tonight"

"What? Tonight?!" Brandon exclaimed rather loudly. "Why so sudden?"

"Well, we don't want them coming back and attacking again. We think it's best that we leave soon." Ravu explained.

"Yeah, and school is tomorrow. No one wants to go to school." Greg added with a small laugh.

"You're right about that." Brandon agreed. He stood up and headed to the door. "Well, I guess we should get started then." He sighed.

"Yeah, we should get going too, Greg. Leah, you can come with us and help explain." Ravu said, as she and Leah stood up and followed Brandon.

"I should go too then." Tami made her way to the door, only to stop when Greg pulled her arm.

"Tami…" He murmured lowly, causing the girl to look at him. He didn't know why, but he wasn't sure he wanted her to go anymore. Something was telling him that this trip was going to be much more than they bargained for, and he didn't want her hurt. But it was not his choice to make, it was Tami's.

"Are you sure you want to go? It'll be very dangerous, and there is probably no turning back once we're gone."

Tami looked a little sadden. "What? You don't think I can take care of myself?"

Greg's eyes went wide. "N-No, it's nothing like that! I just…"

Tami giggled and placed a hand on his cheek. "I know you're worried, but I can't just sit here why my friends are off touring the world. Do you know how bored I'd be?" She smiled.

Greg couldn't help but smile back at her, as her warm touch caressed his cheek. "Yeah, I do."

"Then I can't possibly stay here. What if something were to happen to you all?" Tami asked, her question clearly focusing on one person in particular.

"Greg! Tami!" Brandon called, as he opened the door to the restaurant. "Hurry up! I think someone came back to give Leah and Ravu that visit." Greg and Tami exchanged glances and rushed to the door.

As they walked out, they could see the people on Market Street move aside to let a few figures through. The brilliant gold-like armor shined brightly in the sun's rays, causing most of the people to cover their eyes. With each step, the whispers of the people grew louder.

_Aren't those the Rambosan Knights?_

_Why are they here?_

_I hope the King has come to visit!_

_As long as those Rambosan soldiers aren't coming back, it's fine._

_Look at their armor!_

_Looks like a new leading Knight has joined the ranks…_

_He's bald!_

The last comment, which came from Brandon, seemed to get the bald man's attention. He raised his hand into the air, which caused the soldiers to stop. He then walked over to Brandon and the others. At that moment, the citizens all became quiet.

"Good going, stupid." Ravu whispered harshly, as she and Leah backed up slowly, preparing to summon their Keyblades.

"What did you say?" Ganboia asked, leaning over to Brandon's level of height.

"You're bald…?" Brandon replied, confused since the fact was true. The man seemed to cringe at the word.

Ganboia stood up straight and proud, still looking down at the boy. "Do you know who I am, boy? I am-"

"Sir," A knight interrupted. Ganboia turned around and glared at the knight. "I believe that is," The knight pointed at Leah. "Leah J. Seraphiel, one of the targets we were sent to retrieve." The knight looked at Ravu's blue hair. "And that must be the other."

"I must say." Ganboia chuckled. "This must be our lucky day, men." He pointed at Leah and Ravu. "Seize them!"

"Run!" Ravu shouted, as she dashed off down Market Street. Greg and the others wasted no time and followed behind her.

Ganboia growled and looked back at his men, who were awaiting his order. "What are you all doing!? Go after them!"

"YES SIR!" The Knights shouted, as they stampeded down Market Street, after the desired targets.

**Destiny Island…**

"Sora, get back here!" Kairi yelled, as Sora retreated to his bag on the walkway.

"Just give me a sec, Kairi. I need some water." Sora groaned, as he reached for the bottle of water that was sitting in his bag. Kairi, as well as Riku, Wakka, Tidus, Selphie and himself, had been playing a series of volleyball games, over and over again. And Kairi wasn't giving him any sort of break, whatsoever. He was tired and felt like he did after he and Riku had beaten Xemnas.

Sora sat in the sand and poured some water into his mouth. He failed to notice Riku, who was also taking a break.

"Man, she's really working us. This is fun and all, but man…" Riku said, before sipping his water once more.

"I know what-" Sora looked over at Riku. "When did..? Why isn't she yelling for you to go back over there?"

"Kairi put the game on hold, so everyone's taking a break." Riku explained, glancing over to his friend. "Speaking of Kairi, have you asked her yet?"

Sora choked on his water before turning to his friend, having a sense of what he was asking. "What are you talking about?"

"Don't play stupid, Sora." Riku replied, sipping his water yet again. "You know damn well what I'm talking about." He noticed his friend was continuing to act as if he didn't know. "Have you asked her out yet, you idiot? You know, to be your girlfriend?"

"Well…not yet…" Sora responded as he looked at the sand.

"Why not?" Riku asked, urging his friend to spill.

"Well, the truth is." Sora began. But he never got a chance to finish, because he was interrupt by a familiar voice.

"_Because he's too afraid, that's why."_ Came the voice, shocking Riku, and Sora since it had come from his mouth.

"Roxas?" The two boys asked. And, as if on cue, the said person appeared between them in a transparent image, sitting in the sand. He still wore his everyday clothes, his white coat, black zipper vest, black and gray slacks and black shoes with red stripes. His unimaginable hairstyle was still…unimaginably spiky.

"_He's just too afraid of rejection, Riku, my old nemesis."_ Roxas sighed, as he leaned back on his hands.

"Is that it?" Riku asked the Nobody.

"What do you mean, 'Is that it?'?" Sora asked, staring in awe at his Nobody and friend. "It's a lot tougher than you think."

"_Well, not really, actually. Just tell her how you feel, how hard can it be?"_ Roxas asked.

"What if she doesn't like me the same way I like her?" Sora responded.

"Of course she likes you! Hell, she loves you! Why do you think she was in The World That Never Was?" Riku blurted out.

"She wanted to find us both, Riku." Sora murmured, looking down at the sand.

"_But she loves you, you idiot! Are you that blind that you can't see it?"_ Roxas asked, leaning forward.

"You do love Kairi, don't you?" Riku asked, arcing his brow.

"Yeah…she's all I think about…" Sora replied quietly.

"O…..kay, didn't ask you all that, bud." Riku replied, sipping his water. "But I know she loves you, you did go and risk your life to save her."

"_But he also risked his life to save you, Riku."_ The Nobody chuckled. _"Maybe he's in love with you."_

"Sick, Roxas…" Riku and Sora murmured, glaring at the Nobody.

"_My bad, just a joke."_ Roxas laughed again, but soon stopped. _"But seriously, Sora, she does love you. Namine has already told me. And from being inside that thick head of yours, I know that you love her too."_

"Sora, you can't just wait and watch her pass you by. Something may happen that might cause one of you to leave. You need to tell her how you feel." Riku murmured. "And besides, I'm tired of listening to her rant about you when you're not around." Roxas just chuckled.

"I….I'll tell her…" Sora replied, as he looked up and stared in the distance, where Kairi was standing, along with Selphie and the others. The girl turned around and waved to the two.

"Hey, Riku, Sora, let's start the volleyball game back up!" Kairi yelled.

"Not right now, you wont." Riku groaned, as he stood up and stretched. "Maybe tonight."

Roxas placed a hand on his Somebody's shoulder._ "Good luck, Sora."_

With that said, Roxas vanished in a body of blue light, which then engulfed Sora's body as the boy stood.

"Yeah…tonight…" Sora murmured, as he and Riku rushed back over to the volleyball net.

**Ragnias City…**

Ravu peeked out the living room window, trying to spot the shining armor of they're predators.

They had been running for over three hours, and it was already 3:38 pm. They knew, for a fact, that the Rambosan Knights chased them through every square inch of Ragnias City. The Rambosan Knights were persistent, following the five teens where ever they went. It was Brandon who managed to sneak them through a short cut and to Sophia's house, which happened to be on the other side of the city, near the exit to the city.

"What are we going to do?" Ravu asked, as she sat down in the one of the chairs closest to the window. Leah sat in the other chair, across the room, and Greg, Brandon and Tami sat on the couch.

"I don't know." Greg murmured, as he closed his eyes to try and think.

"Should we fight?" Leah asked, looking at her friends.

"Fight? Are you out of your mind?!" Brandon shouted at the girl. "There were at least fifty of those guys, as well as baldy!"

Leah scowled. "It was only a thought, kid. It's better than sitting here and waiting for them to find us."

"Leah has a point." Tami began. "We can't stay here. Sophia should be getting home shortly, and they might harm her if they find us here."

"I won't let that happen." Greg said, his eyes flashing open. "We need a plan right now. We can't let Sophia get hurt."

"What can we possibly do?" Brandon asked. "We're just a bunch of teenagers, two of which can wield Keyblades. I'm sure two Keyblade wielders can't take out fifty men."

"If they fight, I'm not going to let them fight alone." Greg responded.

"That's right, we're going to help. And just for the record, there were forty men." Tami added with a giggle towards the end.

"I wasn't keeping count!" Brandon retorted, folding his arms.

"I say we fight." Leah declared, looking around the room with a fierce stare.

"Me too." Ravu added. "We fought the soldiers the other night. I'm sure there isn't a difference in their fighting ability. And besides," A smirk formed on her lips. "Leah and I weren't even trying, last night."

"Well, that's good to know. Then we'll leave the big guy to you, when we get rid of the Knights." Greg implied, as he stood up and ran towards the stairs. He dashed to the next floor before anyone could ask his reasons for doing so. When he returned, he held three swords in his hands, each in a sheath. One, a long claymore, a sword wielded with two hands. Its large structure was built in order to use slow, but powerful, strikes. The next was a simple knight's sword, one from the night before. It was a fair size, able to perform quick and powerful strikes. And the last was a short sword, just a bit smaller than the Knight's sword, used for quick, fairly strong strikes.

"What are those for? And where'd you get them?" Brandon asked, as he stood up.

"I don't just practice when I'm fighting against you or Ravu, Brandon." Greg said, as he tossed Brandon the Knight's sword. He caught it by the handle and looked at it. Greg handed Tami the short sword before he continued "And those are the three swords I practice with."

"So that's why you've been getting better at sword fighting." Brandon chuckled, having figured it out.

"Yeah, that's why." Greg replied, feeling he was telling his friend a lie as he thought back to his past life.

"Wait guys," Tami spoke, drawing everyone's attention. "How about we just make a run for it? We could leave Sophia a note saying we left. If we do that, she'll explain it to our parents while we're already gone."

The others exchange glances, each one thinking the scenario out in there minds. It was really a good idea, better than running out and fighting forty men.

"I think we should go with Tami's plan. It would work better than going out there and getting our butts handed to us." Brandon said, breaking everyone's train of thought.

"I suppose…" Ravu sighed. "Tami, could you write the note? You're better at explaining things than I am."

Tami gave a solemn nod and a smile.

* * *

Minutes later, Tami stood up, placing the pencil down onto the sheet of paper. She looked at the others, who were waiting by the door.

"Finished?" Ravu asked, as she folded her arms.

"Yeah," Tami nodded.

"Well, let's head out." Greg ordered, as he opened the front door.

"I can't believe we're going through with this." Brandon murmured as he followed his three friends out the door.

"We won't be able to get supplies here, other than the things Ravu and I collected." Leah said, slinging the bag, she and Ravu had gathered the items into, over her shoulder. "We'll have to wait until we reach the next city or town to stock up."

"We don't really have a choice." Tami stated, as she turned and locked the door.

"Let's just go before those knights spot us, okay?" Brandon groaned, as he started to walk off, only to be grabbed by his collar by Ravu.

"Hold it, macho man, those knights are guarding the exit to the city, we can't just run through." She told him.

"It's just one problem after another." Greg sighed. "Well, what do we do about it? Scale the wall or something?"

"Precisely." Leah replied. "Follow me." She ordered, as she sped off into the shadows.

"We're right behind you. I'll cover the rear." Volunteered Ravu, as she followed behind her four friends. They silently made their way through a series of alleyways, heading towards the east side of the city wall, closest to the exit.

Leah glanced back at the others. "Once we exit this alleyway, we should be near the city wall." She looked forward, to make sure no one was ahead, and then looked back. "When we're-"

"Hey!" Yelled a voice, causing the five teens to look back down the alleyway. A Knight, his armor glistening in the light, began to enter the alleyway just in front of Leah. "Just come with-"

Suddenly, Leah charged forward, propelling herself from the two walls as she advanced. She brought her right leg forward, into the knight's helmet, sending him flying back out of the alleyway.

"Leah, was that really necessary?!" Brandon asked, making a face. Leah turned around and glared at the boy.

"Of course it was!" She snapped. Brandon just shook his head and looked at the ground in disbelief, as Greg, Tami and Ravu slowly began to back up. "What's with you guys?"

Tami slowly pointed in Leah's direction. "Behind…you…"

Leah turned around to see a group of knights, about fifteen, staring at her. "Holy sh-"

"Seize them!" One of the Knights shouted. With a loud battle cry, the knights charged into the alleyway. Without a second though, Leah, as well as the others, burst out into a sprint.

"What now?!" Brandon shouted from the front of the group.

"How the heck should I know!?" Greg yelled from near the back of the little group.

"Split up!" Leah ordered from the back, as she sped up to catch up with them. "We'll meet up later!"

"Right!" Yelled everyone, simultaneously. As ordered, the gang split up, Greg, Brandon and Tami running to the right, while Leah and Ravu ran to the right.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?!" Brandon yelled, as he looked back at the Knights. They, too, had split up, seven going after them and eight after the two girls.

"Too late now!" Tami and Greg shouted together.

* * *

**I thought this chapter was really fun to write, especially since Leah(owned by StarLightSeraph), has joined my original cast of characters. I hope to bring in many more characters of my friends. Anyway, read and review, please.)**


	3. Chapter 3: The Gap Between

**Okay, well, not much to say here. This chapter is basically nothing but action, though I kinda rushed through Sora and his gang's parts. Anyway, hope you enjoy!**

**_Chapter 3: The Gap Between Heroes and Villians_**

**Ragnias City…**

"This way!" Ravu turned a sharp corner and darted forward, with Leah right behind her. They could still hear the metallic footsteps of the Knights behind them, but they dared not to look back. They turned another corner, rushing down another alleyway as fast as they could.

"Stop!" Leah yelled, grabbed Ravu's shirt and causing her to stop. Ravu glanced back in confusion. She could see the Knights catching up with them.

"We have to run, Leah!" Ravu shouted, trying to pry herself free.

"There is nowhere to run." Leah pointed down the other end of the alleyway, where more Knights had appeared. The Rambosan warriors had boxed the two Keyblade wielding teens in and were slowly advancing. Leah turned to face the Knights behind them, while Ravu faced the ones in front.

"Listen! We do not want to fight you! If you'd just please-"

"Shut up!" Ravu yelled, cutting the approaching Knight off. "We really don't want to hear what you all have to say." She cut her eye back at Leah. "I'm tired of running. You ready?"

"I was just about to ask you the same thing." Leah smirked, as her Anti-Key Keyblade appeared in a flash of red and black lights, into her right hand. She twirled it around as she held her left hand out, ready. Ravu flicked her wrist, and her Fallen Phoenix Keyblade appeared in a series of flames. She held it with both of her hands, bringing it in front of her.

"Ready." Ravu said softly.

"Set." Leah added in the same tone.

"GO!" They yelled, charging for the knights. Leah moved quickly, seeing as how most of the knights pulled out guns and began firing at her. She spun her Keyblade around in front of her, deflecting the bullets into the wall. As she approached the first knight, she dropped down and spun her body, kicking his legs from under him. Using the momentum, she continued to spin her body, bringing her Keyblade around as well, slamming it into the knight's armor. The force of the swing sent the knight back, crashing into his comrades.

Ravu easily dodged the bullets by rebounding herself from wall to wall, which also drew her closer and closer to the knights. She leapt from the wall, once close enough, and brought her right leg around, slamming it into the first knight's helmet and sending him into the wall. She planted her feet on the ground, ducking to dodge several more rounds of bullets, and threw herself forward. She leapt into the air and kicked the next knight in his chest, sending him back. She then pointed her Keyblade at the crowd of knights she was facing, and fired off a few fireballs from it.

"Firaga!" She yelled, as the fireballs crashed into some of the Knight's, blowing them back. She smirked and rushed forward again, her Keyblade at her side. Another knight stepped forward, deploying his sword and clashing it against Ravu's.

Sparks flew, as the two continued to match each other blow-for-blow. This, however, gave this particular knight hope, to know he was matching Ravu with each swing. Ravu, on the other hand, was simply toying with the man, just to give him something to boast about after she'd pound them into the ground.

Another yell caused Ravu to look up, seeing another knight leap over his comrade's head and preparing to attack her with an overhead slash. Ravu frowned, as she knocked the first knight's sword away and kicked him in the chest. She then back-flipped, avoiding the air-borne knight with ease. She slid back, once landing on her feet, but managed to throw herself back at the knight with double the speed, forcing her Keyblade into his chest and sending him back. She stood ready as more knights charged into her side of the alleyway.

Leah leapt back, dodging one of the knight's swords. She could see bullets flying towards her, so she quickly swung her Keyblade, batting them right back at three of the knights. Smirking, she advanced quickly, leaping right in the middle of the crowd. She laughed as all of the knights tried to attack her, only to miss every time. She continued to propel herself from wall to wall, dodging each bullet and swing of a weapon.

After getting them riled up, she landed on the head of a knight, causing his fellow members to attack him in an effort to get her. Leah smirked and flipped onto another knight, holding herself up by one hand. As the other knights attacked the knight she was on, she flipped forward, crushing another under her feet. She then sped forward and threw her Keyblade in a Strike Raid, which pummeled most of the knights to the ground, except for a few who dodged by pinning themselves against the wall.

The knights, thinking they were safe, began to charge Leah, who still had her smirk plastered on her face. She advanced and punched one of the knights in the helmet, making him stagger. Before he could recover, he brought his foot around and sent him back into the others, who caught their comrade. Then, they were all sent flying by Leah's returning Keyblade. She chuckled, as she caught the Keyblade without even looking at it.

"Well, that takes care of-" She stopped, mid-sentence, as more knights appeared where she had knocked out the others. "Darn…" She hissed, as she backed away, switching her Keyblade into its reverse grip. She could feel another person rub against her back, and instantly knew whom it was. "Ravu, what now?" She could hear Ravu groan as she asked the question.

"How should I know? You're supposed to be the smart one here." Ravu replied, as she eyed the knights carefully. They were slowly closing in on the girls, cocking their guns. "You know how I said that I'm tired of running?"

"Yeah."

"Well, now I'm tired of fighting and I think I feel like running now." Ravu could hear Leah began to chuckle softly.

"What about flying?"

"Wha-" Suddenly, Ravu felt herself being lifted into the air by her hand. She looked down and could see the knights trying to reach them. She looked up and could see Leah, and her yellow-like wings with dark feather tips. "Wow…" was all she muttered.

Leah, however, was having a hard time getting out of the alleyway. Not only was the alleyway too narrow for her to flap her wings quickly, but also the knights had begun shooting at them, and it sure as hell wasn't making everything easier.

The winged teenager cringed, as a few shots hit her wings. She was ready to drop Ravu and turn to strike down the knights, but they had to get to safety. She reached her hand out, seeing the top of the alleyway drawing nearer, only to cringe once again, almost dropping Ravu.

The blue haired teen was busy wobbling, trying not to get hit, and slowing Leah down dramatically because of it. She noticed what she was doing and pointed her Keyblade at the ground.

"I got your back-up, Leah!" She chuckled, as several fireballs flew from the tip of the Keyblade. "Firaga Barrage!" Ravu grinned as the fireballs crashed into the knights below, causing the to yell in pain.

Leah felt the Firaga attacks give her a boost, sending her upward with more speed. Finally, she reached the open sky with minor injuries to her wings. She flapped them and stretched them out, before landing on the roof and allowing Ravu to land.

Ravu smiled as she gazed at Leah's wings. She was wrong; her wings were gold, shimmering in the sunlight as Leah moved them about. The tips of her wings were a pitch-black color.

"Leah…they're amazing." Ravu began. "Why didn't you tell anyone?"

Leah frowned. "Thanks, but people here would think I'm a freak because of these." Somehow, some way, her wings retreated into her back, and Ravu could see them no more.

"I don't think people will think that."

"You'd be amazed at what people think when they see something they've never seen before." Leah replied, as she walked across the roof. "C'mon, we have to get out of here. The others will be waiting for us near the East Gate."

"Yeah, hopefully." Ravu replied, as she walked next to her.

* * *

Brandon looked back, frantically, and then back at the others. He was slowly beginning to grow tired from the running, but Greg and Tami just kept going, both encouraging each other. No one encouraged Brandon, other than the occasional, "Hurry the heck up, Brandon!", which was said quite often by both of his friends.

Echoing behind them were the footsteps of their predators, the Rambosan Knights. But because the teens were all tired, and the fatigue was catching up with them, the footsteps seemed to be coming from everywhere. Nonetheless, they continued to run, in an effort to get free of the knights' pursuit.

"Gr-Greg…" Tami murmured, as she felt her legs stiffen a bit and a cramp in her side. Greg turned his head, slowing down to her speed. He could tell that she was growing tired with each passing step. And if she slowed down, they'd all have to slow down and risk getting caught, which Greg wasn't planning to do.

"Come on, Tami!" He grabbed her hand and pulled her along, until they reached a darken alleyway. He allowed her to sit down and rest, while he went to retrieve Brandon.

Brandon, who was still running, was lost. "Where the heck did-" He was then yanked into one of the darker alleyways by Greg. "Hey!"

"Brandon, shut up!" Greg whispered, as he peeked his head out of the alleyway and looked around. He then turned back, feeling a hint of déjà vu. "We're going to take a break here, you two could use it."

"What…ever…" Brandon panted, as he sat down next to Tami, who was already resting up, with her sheathed sword in her hand. The shaggy-haired boy could feel his legs ache as he took the weight off of them. He was sure that the break wasn't going to last long, but he and Tami really needed it. "Are…they following…us?"

"I don't see anyone." Greg responded lowly, as he looked out again. He sighed heavily and sat against the wall next to Tami, placing his sheathed claymore on the ground in front of him. "But we should hurry up and get going, they'll catch up any minute." He could hear the footsteps, seemingly creeping closer. Minutes quickly passed, seemingly like only seconds. He knew they were coming, he knew they would catch up sooner or later. For Tami and Brandon's sake, he just hoped it was later, rather than sooner.

Brandon ran his hand through his hair. "Hey, where do you think Ravu and Leah are?"

"Probably waiting for us outside." Greg glanced up at the sky, wanting nothing more than have the knights leave and let them be. Unfortunately, he knew that life wasn't that easy.

"It's possible." Tami added, as she fiddled with her sword. She glanced over at the two boys, who had their eyes closed. She felt that she was only going to get in the way of them, but she needed to go with them. She wanted to see her sister again, who had joined the Rambosan Army as a common soldier a few years ago. She also knew that if she'd let Greg and the others go without her, there was a pretty good chance she wouldn't see them again. She would get stronger, eventually, and be able to hold her own and not drag the other ones down. Tami knew Greg was worried about her, and probably the others too, but she wasn't going to sit and wait a few years just to hope to see them again.

"Hey, you two," Tami began, breaking her own train of thought. "We should get going."

"Yeah, you're right." Greg opened his eyes and stood up. He outstretched his right hand and pulled Tami to her feet, and did the same for Brandon a second later.

"You guys ready?" Brandon asked, looking at them, not even sure if he was ready himself. He wasn't even sure if he'd be able to handle those knights, he had heard they were advanced swordsmen. Fortunately, Greg was there to raise his confidence.

"Yeah," Greg reached down and retrieved his sheathed claymore, strapping it onto his back as quickly as he could. "We'll walk from here, it doesn't seem like they've caught up yet." He said, glancing back at the street they had just come off of.

"That's a relief." Tami said, as she strapped her short sword onto her belt loop. She walked in between the boys, with Brandon leading and Greg covering the back. Since she was probably one of the less experienced, they thought it best that she in-between them. Of course, she would protest, if not for the current situation.

So they walked…

And walked….

And walked a bit more, through several more alleyways, before coming to a large plaza. For some strange reason, the plaza was empty, which raised a few questions amongst the three teenagers.

"Um….tell me that you guys have the same bad feeling that I do?" Brandon murmured, as he slowly began to stop walking. He could feel the hair on the back of his neck stand up on end.

"I really don't know if it is the same, but I do have a really bad feeling." Greg added, as he stopped as well.

"Yeah, that's the same one I've got." Brandon replied, looking around.

"This doesn't make sense. This plaza should be crowded around this time." Tami folded her arms, trying to think. Suddenly, a series of metal footsteps were heard, followed by a few gun cocks, causing the girl to look around.

"Darn…" Greg murmured, as he slowly put his hands on the handle of his claymore, preparing to unsheathe it. He glared at the twenty knights that surrounded the whole plaza, guns loaded and aimed at them. Greg didn't know what to do, he couldn't risk attacking and getting his friends shot.

"What do we do?" Tami whispered, as she backed up into Greg and Brandon.

"I don't really know…" Greg replied, in the same whispering tone. Then, one of the knights moved, drawing the attention of the teens.

"Please, come with us, and we will not harm you." He spoke clearly and kindly, but the teens weren't buying it for crap.

"What do you want with us?" Tami asked, eyeing them carefully.

"You three know Leah J. Seraphiel, correct?" The leading knight asked. The trio nodded their heads. "We wish for your assistance in catching her, and the other girl."

Brandon cocked an eyebrow. "Why, exactly, do you want them?"

"That information is classified." The knight stated firmly, his voice growing cold. Tami felt a chill go down her spine, as the knight approached yet again.

"I'm sorry, but we're not willing to help you! Why don't you just leave, and no one gets hurt!" Greg warned them, as his eyes scanned each of them.

"You? Hurt us? How preposterous!" The knight began to laugh, along with the other knights.

Greg turned his head, glancing at Tami. "You remember those spells we've been practicing for the last two weeks?" He whispered.

"Yeah, why?" Tami whispered back, staring at him.

"Well, I propose you use some of them. Focus on defensive spells, Brandon and I will handle the offense." Greg requested, as he glanced back at the laughing knights. He then turned to Brandon. "It's time to put that training to good use, okay Brandon? This time, we're fighting for real, don't hold anything back."

"Don't remind me…" Brandon felt his hands began to shake from fright. He, nor Tami, had ever been in an ACTUAL battle that could actually result in them dieing. He could feel his legs beginning to shake, as he heard a few more cocks of guns.

Tami, on the other hand, was holding up a lot better. She had confidence in Greg, and what he was planning to do, even if she didn't know what that was. She knew everything would work out, some way…somehow.

Greg was completely ready. It had been so long since he had gotten to fight seriously. He was rather eager to start the battle, but he still had his friends to worry about, mostly Tami. He knew Brandon would be able to handle himself, but Tami wasn't as experienced at sword fighting as himself and Brandon.

"You ready?" Greg asked, throwing one more glance at each of his friends. Tami and Brandon nodded, simultaneously. With a nod of his own, Greg and Brandon sprang forward, causing the leading knight to turn to his comrades.

"Open fire!" He shouted. On cue, every knight opened fire, sending bullets flying towards the teenagers.

"Reflect!" Tami yelled, as she focused the spell into her hands and raised it over her head. Immediately, an orb of, what appeared to be, glass appeared around Tami, protecting her from the bullets, while Brandon and Greg advanced on, towards the knights on each side.

Brandon swayed from side-to-side, dodging every shot. He knew it was too late to turn back now, so he pressured himself to fight forward. His speed was enough to dodge most of them, or maybe it was just because none of the knights could really aim, who knows.

Greg, however, had already made it to the knights. He dashed forward; swinging the claymore a lot faster than a normal boy should, and batted away a knight's gun and then spun on his heel, planting his foot forcefully in the knight's chest and sending him back. He then dodge rolled forward and then threw himself to the right, swinging the sword again. This time, another knight met his claymore with a sword of his own, clashing it against it.

As the two pushed against each other, Greg could hear more bullets being fired. He instantly jumped into the air, making it seem like he disappeared, which caused the bullets to hit the knight instead. The teen came down, and used an overhead slash, slamming the sword into the shoulder of a knight and sending him to the ground. Greg turned quickly and vanished, by running to the side, dragging the claymore behind him. He reappeared in front of two of the knights and brought the claymore around into their chests, sending them into a nearby wall.

"Oh crap!" Brandon yelled, drawing Greg's attention. The frightened teen was scurrying around the plaza, running around to avoid the bullets that were fired off at him. As a result, the knights that he was faced with began to toy with him, just shooting in random directions. Of course, this worked well for Brandon.

"Idiots." Brandon murmured, as he suddenly stopped and leaped directly at one of the knights, slamming his sword into the knight's chest and sending him back. Shocked, the knights began to focus their shots again, but Brandon was ready. He swayed to the right, while sprinting towards two more of the knights, in an effort to draw out their shots.

"Get him!" One of them yelled, as he fired the gun off. Suddenly, the bullets ceased from his gun, as well as the knight beside him. Brandon made his move at that moment, sprinting forward and jumping into the air, kicking one in the head. He ducked, just in time to dodge the fist of the second, and slammed his elbow into his chest, causing the knight to fall back.

"AHHH!" Brandon yelled, as he rubbed his elbow. "Funny bone, funny bone!!" His eyes widened as a fireball flew across his face, crashing into another knight that was about to attack him. He glanced over to Tami. "Thanks Tam!"

But she was too focused, firing off offensive spells, as well as defensive spells, to help out her friends. She had cast the Haste spell, in order to speed Greg and Brandon up, as well as Aero and a couple of Fire spells. She wasn't very talented in the art of magic, but she was a lot more gifted than Greg and Brandon.

"Haste!" She yelled, casting the spell in the process. She felt her agility increase as she rushed to the right, dodging a series of bullets. With her newfound speed, she swerved around the arena, and towards the knight that was firing at her. Throwing her hand forward, she unleashed a Blizzard spell to pin him in place, and stop him from firing. Swinging her sword with all of her power, she sent the knight soaring back and to the ground.

She spun on her heel and unleashed three more Blizzard spells on three more knights, allowing Brandon to knock them down with ease. "Good one, Tami!" Greg yelled, from behind her.

"Thanks." Tami replied, as she looked around. So far, they had managed to take out thirteen of the knights, leaving only seven to deal with. "Looks like we only have a few more."

"Heh, this is the best of the Rambosan Royal Knights?" Brandon chuckled, as he glanced around. "I know you guys aren't as aggressive as the Rambosan Soldiers, but come on!"

"Someone's a little cocky." A feminine voice rang out from above. All eyes quickly looked for the origin of the voice, until they found a cloaked figure looking down on them.

"Agent Engel?!" One of the remaining Knights exclaimed, with a hint of joy.

"Who is that?" Tami asked, her eyes staring into Agent Engel's hood.

"Your guess is as good as mine." Greg murmured, narrowing his eyes in suspicion.

"How come you idiots are dealing with these weaklings?!" Agent Engel yelled, causing all of the Knights to tremble slightly.

"Well, you see, Lieutenant Colonel-"

"I really don't care." Agent Engel cut them off, after hearing whom the Knight was about to say. She sighed heavily, as she jumped down from atop the building and landed on the ground. "I suppose I'll lend you my strength, this time. That way, this will go by quicker."

"Just who does this girl think she is?" Greg asked, shouldering his claymore.

"I don't know, man. But," Brandon looked back at Greg and Tami. "I'll take care of her, while you guys finish off those Knights."

"Are you sure?" Tami asked. "Maybe we should just finish the Knights, and then focus on her, together."

"Then she'll easily take one of us out, and we can't have that." Brandon grinned. "Don't worry, I can handle her."

Greg nodded, as did Tami, and turned their attention back towards the Knights, while Brandon approached the cloaked female. He smirked, knowing he'd be able to beat a girl without too much trouble.

Agent Engel sighed, underneath her hood. She was actually hoping to fight a three-on-one battle; it would have made things a lot more interesting. Instead, she was stuck fighting some over-confident kid who probably didn't even know how to wield a sword, or any type of weapon for that matter.

"You're going to fight me…alone?" She asked, stepping forward.

"I think it'd be unfair if I wasn't fighting you alone." Brandon chuckled, his eyes averting back towards the battle behind him, where Greg and Tami were finishing off the Knights.

"I see…I suppose I won't even use my weapon, then." She murmured, sighing as well.

"Your funeral." Brandon planted his feet and then rushed forward as fast as he could. Once he was in range, he quickly slid to the girl's left and swung his Knight's Sword as hard as he could. Engel leaned back and out of the sword's range, causing Brandon to miss the first swing.

He gritted his teeth and swung the sword again, in a downward diagonal-like motion. Again, the girl backed away, allowing the sword to cut the air. In another effort to hit her, Brandon brought the sword up in an uppercut-like fashion, only to miss again. Using the momentum of the swing, he leapt into the air, preparing to use an overhead slash. This time, Agent Engel stepped forward, allowing her fist to fly from underneath the cloak and ram Brandon in the stomach, sending him back and onto the ground.

Brandon rolled back to his feet as quickly as he could, and threw himself backwards, just in time to dodge an overhead kick from Engel. He slid across the ground, but managed to throw himself back at the cloaked girl. He brought the sword to his side and unleashed another horizontal slash, but Engel dodge again. Using the momentum, he continued to move his body and slammed his foot into her upper-chest, sending her sliding back, across the ground.

"Not bad," Agent Engel placed a hand over the pain and chuckled softly. "For a beginner."

"Beginner?" Brandon growled, as he tightened his grip around the sword handle. Even though he had managed to hit the girl, he felt as if she was just toying with him, which she was. Every move he made seemed to be slow and predictable, which was probably why she was able to dodge every single one.

"What? You didn't hear me the first time?" Agent Engel laughed. "Yes, I said beginner. You're nowhere as near as skilled as I am, and I could kill you right now, if that is what I wanted."

"Yeah, right." Brandon glared at the girl, as he rushed forward again. "We'll see who is standing after this!" He swung his sword again, but Engel just stepped back, allowing the blade to simply pass by her face, harmlessly. Growling, Brandon began to swing the sword violently, and as fast as he could, wanting nothing more than to gash up the girl's body.

Suddenly, by pressing the blade between both the palms of her hand, she was able to stop the sword. Brandon struggled to break her grip and cut her in the process, but she held the sword steady, while her silver, emotionless eyes gazed at Brandon from underneath her hood.

"You just don't get it." She murmured in a low tone, as she used sword to throw Brandon to the ground. Throwing his sword to the ground and outstretching her hand, a white, icy-like light shot out from her hand, forming a blade from it.

A Keyblade….

The Keyblade was white, probably the purest white Brandon had ever seen. The hilt of the blade was in the shape of a upside-down pentagon. Each corner of the pentagon contained a crystal-like spike sticking outward. The blade of the weapon was long, and straight, almost 5 feet long. The tip of the blade was shaped like a six-point snowflake. A keychain of the Keyblade dangled from the pummel, and was shaped like a four-point snowflake.

Agent Engel held the Keyblade in Brandon's face, with the tip barely touching his nose. Brandon could feel the air begin to grow cold, his nose slowly beginning to go numb. He glanced up at his opponent's silver eyes, as she stared down at him.

"I'm way out of your league, kid." She murmured harshly, as she neared the Keyblade to Brandon's face.

"Fire!" On instinct, Agent Engel leapt back, narrowly avoiding a fire spell. She landed a few meters back and glanced over at Tami and Greg, who had finished the Knights with no trouble at all.

"It seems you're the cocky one now." Greg shouldered his claymore, as he and Tami stepped in-between Brandon and Agent Engel. He glanced back at his friend. "You okay, Brandon?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Brandon pushed himself up, grabbing his sword in the process. He glared at the girl, as she swung her Keyblade around in a toying fashion.

"So, I guess it's three on one anyway." Engel murmured. "How exciting." She sighed heavily. "I don't even feel like playing with you three. I'll just kill you each with one attack." She chuckled, as she vanished quickly.

"Starting with you!" She yelled, as she reappeared behind Brandon, bringing her Keyblade down in an overhead slash. As she brought it down, Greg appeared and blocked it with his claymore.

"You'll have to be faster than that." Greg smirked, staring the girl in her eyes. Engel leapt back to a safe distance, away from the three teens.

"This might be exciting, after all." She chuckled.

"You should run while you have the chance." Tami warned her, holding her sword steady.

"Why? There is no way I'm going to lose to you three." Engel swung her Keyblade around, and then stopped to point it at them. "I'll make you three sorry you ever messed with us."

"What?! You Rambosan Knights were the ones messing with us, we just started to fight back!" Greg retorted, as he brought his Keyblade before him, in a neutral position.

"We're the ones that are going to make you sorry!" Brandon declared, as he got into his fighting stance once again. Behind him, Tami began to conjure up a spell, while Greg made eye contact with him.

"Ready?"

"Yeah." Brandon nodded and the two boys leapt forward. Agent Engel let out another laugh, and rushed forward to meet the two boys…

* * *

Meanwhile, on the rooftops of Ragnias City, Ravu and Leah were slowly making their way towards the East Gate. Luckily, the Knights hadn't followed them up onto the buildings, so they had decided to take their time. They knew the others probably weren't having as much luck as them, with the rooftops, but then again, the Knights were really after them.

"Hurry up, Ravu." Leah said, as she landed on the next building and turned around.

"How about you try and get to these rooftops without those wings of yours?!" Ravu replied, as she took a few steps back, in order to gain speed. She sprinted forward and jumped, reaching her hands out for the building. She managed to get her hands on the roof, and slowly pulled herself up. Leah just laughed as she continued across the abnormally large roof, allowing her wings to vanish underneath her coat. It was like they weren't even there anymore.

"Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up." Ravu murmured, as she stood up. She slowly began to walk forward, before the building began to shake. Ravu's eyes widened as her movements ceased.

"What the heck is going on?" Leah asked, as she glanced around. The building continued to shake, with two-second intervals in-between. Suddenly, a large hand appeared on the side of the building, as a man slowly pulled himself up and onto the roof. He was dressed in a golden-like armor, except for his head, which glistened in the sunlight. His mustache wiggled, as he looked around, and then focused his sights on Leah and Ravu.

"You two…" Ganboia began to step forward. Both of the teenage girls could feel the building shake with each step, as they stepped back. "I've finally found you. It seems my men have failed me, yet again."

"Who are you?" Ravu asked, as she dared to summon her Fallen Phoenix Keyblade. She stood ready to attack at any given moment.

"That's right, I never had a chance to introduce myself to you and your friends." Ganboia chuckled, as he placed his mace into the ground and placed his hand on the handle, in order to hold himself up. "I am Lieutenant Colonel Ganboia, of the Rambosan Ar-Knights!"

He was quick to correct himself, as he didn't want them to know he was with the army. Of course, it wouldn't have matter if they knew whom he was with anyway. It was all the same to them.

"I'm here ask you, one time, if you'll come with us quietly?" Ganboia gripped the handle of his mace, preparing to lift it. "If you refuse, I'll have no choice but to take you in by force."

"Yeah, you wish." Ravu yelled as she swung her right arm through the air, summoning her Keyblade in the process.

"I'd advise you to leave us be, but I doubt you'd listen to me." Leah shrugged, as her Anti-Key appeared in her hand, once again.

"I knew you two would refuse." Ganboia chuckled, as he ripped his weapon from the roof and rushed towards them. As he neared the two Keyblade wielders, he brought his mace down in an overhead swing. Leah dodged rolled to the left, while Ravu to the right, causing Ganboia to miss completely.

"Ravu, he's slow! We have the advantage!" Leah yelled out to her friend.

"Got it!" Ravu yelled, as she charged in. Ganboia narrowed his eyes as he ripped his mace up again, swinging it to the side in an effort to hit Ravu. The said girl jumped over the swing, and swung her Keyblade in a horizontal slash, slamming it into his left arm with as much force as she could muster, at that moment. Ganboia gazed over at her, grinning.

"Weak." Was the only word he said, as he backhanded Ravu and sent her rolling across the roof. She pushed herself up and quickly looked at Leah.

"He may be slow, but hitting him is like hitting a brick wall with a stick." Ravu's stance faltered, her gaze meeting with the Lieutenant Colonel.

"Without power, speed will only get you so far." Ganboia formed another sadistic grin, before he charged the blue-haired diva. Ravu moved as fast as she possibly could, sliding across the roof on the other side of the building, just as Ganboia brought his mace down. He straightened his form and glanced back at the girl, Leah, whom was running a series of scenarios through her head.

"Without speed, power is nothing." Leah retorted, as she rushed across the roof, her Anti-Key at her side. She stepped to the left, attempting to confuse the large man, before swinging her Keyblade into his side armor. She retreated with just as much speed, trying to search for any signs that she had succeeded in harming the Lieutenant Colonel. To her surprise, she hadn't even fazed the large man, who only cackled.

"It seems we all lack in one, or the other." Ganboia stared, back and forth, at the two Keyblade Wielders on either side of him.

'Man…this guy is something else.' Ravu thought to herself, as she twirled her Keyblade around.

'He's slow, but extremely powerful, even when he isn't trying to be. And his body is immune to most of our regular attacks….' Thought Leah, to herself, as she looked around. They were currently standing in the middle of the large roof. The north edge would lead to, probably, Main Street, while the other sides would lead to alleyways.

Leah's gaze met with Ravu, who nodded her head slowly, while Ganboia was oblivious to what they were thinking. With a burst of speed, Ravu sprang forward, causing the Lieutenant Colonel to turn in her favor. It was then that Leah sprang into action as well.

Ravu, having reached Ganboia first, brought her blade down in a diagonal swing. Her attack did nothing, as Ganboia allowed it to make contact with his shoulder pad, as he swung his mace behind him, hitting Leah in the rib cage and sending her reeling towards the edge. She landed with a loud thud and continued rolling towards the edge. Catching herself, she pushed herself into the air and released her wings with a gust of wind.

Meanwhile, Ravu and Ganboia were matching each other, blow for blow. Ravu was surprised that Ganboia could swing such a heavy weapon at the speed she swung her Keyblade. But with his size and massive build, it would be even more surprising if he couldn't swing it at all.

Ravu's eyes widened as Ganboia's mace broke through her guard, slamming into her upper right arm, sending her back. She flipped in the air and landed on her feet, cursing herself for what had just happened. She watched as Leah moved in by diving down, out of the air, and whacking Ganboia in the head with her Keyblade. Shockingly, the Lieutenant Colonel found himself on his back.

"Time to finish this!" Ravu yelled, as she leapt into the air, pointing her Keyblade at the fallen soldier. "Dark Firaga!" She yelled, as her Keyblade unleashed a strange, black fireball. It soared through the air and, before Ganboia could move, crashed into the Lieutenant Colonel.

Leah returned to the roof, returning her wings to their dormant state. Her eyes scanned the dust that had emerged after the attack. Ravu walked towards it, swinging her Keyblade and chuckling.

"So much for Mr. Macho Man." She smirked, shouldering her Keyblade as she looked at Leah. "We should probably get going now."

Leah twitched and then turned to Ravu. "Get outta the way!"

Before Ravu could even ask, Ganboia emerged from the subsiding dust, clothes-lining her with his armored arm. The blue haired Keybearer gasped for air, as she was sent reeling to the edge of the building. She pushed herself up to her knees and grasped her neck, trying to get air.

"Ravu, are you okay?" Leah asked. She, too, gasped for air, as Ganboia's mace met with her stomach, sending her backwards. She placed her hand on the ground and flipped herself back on her feet, while now gasping for oxygen. "I've…. I've really…had it…with you…" She managed to say.

"Oh really!" Ganboia let out another laugh.

"Yes," Leah placed her Anti-Key with her left hand, and then outstretched her right. In a golden light, another Keyblade appeared in her hands. Its handle was golden with a silver blade that has a red streak going down the middle. The teeth of the blade were shaped like a golden crown with a red crown on top of the golden one. On the other side of the blade, going up the guard, are golden swirls. The keychain is shaped like a golden star, with a red chain connecting it to the Keyblade.

"Really!" Leah sprinted forward, bringing her Ragnarok Keyblade into a reverse grip. She jumped into the air and swung her Anti-Key, only to have it blocked by Ganboia's mace. She instantly brought her Ragnarok Keyblade to his side, slamming it into him as hard as she could, which caused the man to stumble a bit. She leapt at him again, but he quickly brought out his fist, punching Leah in the gut and sending her into the air. Springing into the air and dragging his mace behind him, he prepared to hit Leah once again.

Using her superior speed, Ravu managed to meet Ganboia in the air. She outstretched her arm towards him. "You forgot about me. Dark Firaga!" She yelled, as she fired off another fireball, which crashed into Ganboia's face and sent him back to the ground. The two Keybearers landed on the ground, panting.

"This guy…. he's actually good." Ravu murmured, watching Ganboia return to his feet.

"You little brat!" He snapped, rubbing his face. "How dare you attack me with such an attack! And at such a close range!"

"Don't worry, there's more where that came from." Ravu smirked, pointing her Keyblade at him.

"I don't think so." Ganboia replied, as he vanished, cracking the building in the process.

'How'd he get that fast…?' Leah thought, as she looked around. Catching a glimpse of something above, her eyes traveled to the sky, where Ganboia was returning to the ground, his mace glowing with a strange energy.

Ravu, however, had already found him. "C'mon, you big lug!" She grinned, as she prepared another fire spell. Before she could fire it, Leah grabbed her shirt collar. Releasing her wings, Leah took to the skies, bringing Ravu with her. At that moment, Ganboia brought his mace into the ground, unleashing a wave of energy, breaking the whole building in half.

Dust and debris filled the air, as the building slowly began to fall. Ganboia stood up, looking around. Apparently, he was oblivious to them flying away. The scream of the citizens could be heard, as some of them ran down the street in order to get away from the collapsing building.

"Holy crap!" Ravu exclaimed, as she watched the man glare up at them. He then jumped into the air, towards them.

"Ravu, do something!" Leah yelled, as she watched Ganboia. He seemed to be catching up with them with that one, simple jump. 'Seems he was holding back.' She thought to herself.

"I'm working on it!" Ravu growled, as she placed both of her hands on her Keyblade's hilt and aimed it at the Lieutenant Colonel. "Firaga Art: Maximale Feuerkugel (Maximum Fireball)!"

At her command, three, unbelievably large Firaga spells emerged from her Keyblade, one after the other. Unable to dodge, due to his one-way jump, the first spell crashed into Ganboia, dead on, sending him back. The second one collided with him, sending him crashing into the collapsing building. The third followed him, crashing into him yet again, and causing a small explosion. Leah brought Ravu to the nearest building, where they watched the scene.

"That guy was something else." Ravu chuckled, as she took a deep breath.

"Yeah, he actually had be worried for a moment." Leah laughed as well, as she turned and headed in the opposite direction. "Let's go, we have to get to the East Gate."

Ravu took a step back, gripping her Keyblade tightly. "No…No way! That was my strongest spell!" She exclaimed, causing Leah to turn around.

Down below, slowly, but surely, Ganboia stood up, his eyes still glaring up at the two girls, who were both in total shock. It was one thing for the guy to destroy a building with a single swing, but to take an overly advanced spell to the face and get up, without a bruise was different.

"As much as I hate to say this, we have to run." Ravu declared, as she backed away.

"I have to agree." Leah nodded and turned to run, with Ravu right behind her.

* * *

Brandon crashed into the ground, yet again, having charged the mysterious Keyblade wielder. He slowly pushed himself up, glaring at the girl who was going head to head against his friend, Greg, now. He could hear the screams of people in the distance, as well as an explosion, but paid no mind to it.

Greg brought his Claymore up as fast as he could, blocking the overhead slash by Engel. Spinning on his heel, he brought the Claymore around in a full, horizontal slash, in which Engel blocked with ease. The two continued matching each other, blow for blow, neither giving the other the upper hand.

Tami stood by, on the other side, ready to use one of her spells at a moment's notice. Just one slip up from Greg, and she would quickly use one. But at the rate the battle was going, she wasn't going to have to use a spell for a while.

Brandon felt terribly weak. Not only was he not able to meet the mysterious girl with each hit, he wasn't even able to attack half the time. If he even dared swing his sword, she would counter before the swing was even complete. He knew Greg was a better swordsman than him, but the gap between them continued to grow as Brandon watched his friend battle. Even Tami, the one person in the group that had less experience at sword fighting, was doing better than he was. She was already able to hit the Keybearer with two Fira spells, and had managed to protect Brandon with a Reflect spell at one point.

He knew he wasn't the best, but he surely didn't think of himself as the worst. But this battle was proving it otherwise. He wasn't even sure if he mattered in this battle; since he hadn't did a thing since the beginning.

Greg felt his foot slip as Engel continuously pounded on his defense. He knew he'd lose his balance and Engel would finally get a direct hit on him, and a painful one at that.

"Haste!" Tami yelled, as she watched the scene. Greg felt the spell wash over his body. As Engel brought her Keyblade back for another attack, Greg dashed away, just in time. He slid to a stop, pointing his Claymore at the girl in the process.

"Thundara!" He shouted, as a stream of lightning flew from the heavens and onto Engel, who managed to dodge it at the last second.

"That was a close one." Engel chuckled, as she stepped back, swinging her Keyblade into position. "You're surprisingly good."

"It that supposed to mean something, coming from you?" Greg asked, gripping the hilt of his sword with both of his hands. He glanced over at Brandon, who was standing by on the sidelines. "What's the deal? Where's the back up, Brandon?"

"I…" Brandon began. "I can't help you, she's stronger than I am."

This made Greg's eyes widened in shock, as well as Tami's. Agent Engel, however, only smirked, underneath her hood. Complaining was usually Brandon's way of saying he couldn't do something, but to actually come out and admit it in such a tone.

"Ahahahaha!" Engel cackled, earning glares from Greg and Tami. "Your friend finally gets it. Now, it's only a matter of time before you two understand as well."

"Shut up!" Tami screamed, as she took a step forward, wanting nothing more than to attack the girl herself. But she knew her capabilities and stayed put.

Engel grinned, as she looked at Tami. "I've had enough of you." She burst into a sprint, dragging her Keyblade behind her. "I'm gonna just take you out of the picture for good."

"I don't think so." Greg slid to a stop, in front of her, and swung the claymore. Engel ducked, allowing the blade to pass over her head.

"Fool." She muttered, as she planted a foot in his abdomen as hard as she could, sending him flying back and out of the way. Another smirk formed on her lips, as Greg crashed into the wall and then landed on the ground. She turned her attention back to Tami and jumped forward, preparing to strike.

"Stop!"

Tami watched as the spell took place, stopping all time around Agent Engel. The blonde haired teen glanced over at Brandon, who was holding his sword up and pointed at Engel. He had saved her in that brief moment with that spell. Tami smiled and nodded her head, before pointing her sword at the girl.

"Fira!" She yelled, as a fireball emerged and crashed into Engel's chest, sending her flying back and out of the Stop spell. She flipped onto her feet, her Keyblade twirling in her hand.

"Why you little-"

"Thundara!" A bolt of lightning shot down quickly, striking Engel with great force. The mysterious Keybearer screamed out in pain, before the spell subsided, leaving her, and the ground around her, smoking.

Her eyes slowly went towards Greg, who was already standing and ready for battle again. Something was strange about the boy, to Engel's surprise. She couldn't put her finger on it, but he seemed familiar…. somehow. But she easily tossed the thought aside, bringing herself back into reality.

"Why don't you stay down!" Engel shouted, as she began to spin her Keyblade towards him. "Frozen Wind!" She yelled, as a blue-like breeze traveled towards Greg, who dodge rolled out of its path of travel. Everyone watched as the wall froze, instantly.

Greg paid no attention to it, as he sprang back into action, his claymore behind him and ready to be swung. Agent Engel frowned, underneath her large hood, as she rushed forward, still spinning her Keyblade. Slowly, another blue-like breeze emerged, freezing the ground beneath Greg's feet, causing him to slip.

"Gotcha!" Engel yelled, as she slammed her Keyblade into Greg's ribcage, sending him back, yet again. He managed to flip back onto his feet, placing his hand on his side in an effort to try and soothe the pain. Agent Engel lowered her Keyblade and grinned, again.

"To think I actually thought you were good." She chuckled, causing Greg to glare at her. She pointed her Keyblade to the side, aiming it at Brandon. "But you're definitely better than that loser, over there. He's so full of himself, he didn't even know he was losing the fight."

Brandon narrowed his eyes and looked away, knowing it was nothing but the truth. Though he was able to use a simple spell to aid Tami, she probably had a plan anyway. He was only getting in the way, from his point of view.

"Shut up! Brandon is plenty strong!" Tami yelled, defending her friend.

"Yeah," Greg grinned. "And you're so full of yourself, you think you're actually winning this fight."

"Honestly, I'm not even taking you three seriously." Engel replied, shouldering her blade.

Greg's smirk faded, as he glared at the girl. "Whether you are, or not, the result is going to be the same." He gripped the hilt of the Claymore with both hands, tightly. "You're going to lose."

"Whatever." Engel laughed, as she sprang forth, again. A sharp pain rushed through Greg's body, as he stepped forward as well. His hand quickly went to his side, as he sprinted towards the girl, holding the sword with one hand. The two drew close and clashed their blades together, creating sparks. But Engel quickly overpowered the swordsman, pushing him back and spinning to attempt to deliver a swift kick. Without the use of his other hand, which was currently holding his ribs, her kick made contact with his face, sending him spiraling back yet another time.

Brandon watched as Greg, for perhaps the second or third time, was knocked onto the ground. He quickly got back up and jumped back into the fray, while Brandon stood idle. Even Greg seemed to be having a hard time against her, now, for some reason. Nonetheless, he was still able to keep up with her, blocking every swing of her Keyblade, while she blocked every swing of his claymore. But the short clash ended with Greg on his back, again. This time, Brandon saw his friend's hand go towards his rib cage, as he used the claymore to slowly attempt to get up.

"Greg!" Tami screamed, as Engel leapt into the air, preparing to finish the match.

Many thoughts rushed through Brandon's head. He was weak, he knew that for a fact now, but his friends' continued to believe that he was just as strong as any of them. He couldn't just stand by and give up, while Greg and Tami continued to support each other, as well as himself. He had to act now, to save his friend.

As Tami began to try and conjure up a quick spell, Brandon, seemingly, caught Engel in the air, by the neck. Wide-eyed, and in total shock, Engel was in no condition to try and counter or break free.

"Tectonic Slam!" Brandon let out a battle cry, as he slammed the Agent into the ground, sending a wave of energy outward in the process, as well as cracking the cement below. Brandon retreated by leaping back to a safe distance, his sword tightly held in his hand.

"About…time…" Greg slowly stood up, panting, with a smile plastered on his face. "What…took ya…."

Brandon frowned. "I don't know if I'll be much help against her, but I'm not going to sit back and watch you fight when you're hurt."

"What?" Tami exclaimed, as she made her way over to the two. She instantly went to Greg. "You're hurt?"

Greg threw an annoyed glance at Brandon, who was staring at Engel on the ground, and then looked at Tami. "I'm…. fine…. just winded…" He lied, with a cheesy smile, as he lowered his hand away from his side.

'Liar.' Tami thought, as she looked him over. He was pretty beat up, even if it didn't show much. From the way he was breathing, she could tell that something was wrong. A cure spell would probably help the situation, if Tami weren't so bushed herself. She couldn't afford to use another spell; she had already gone pass her limit. And out of the group, she was the only one who could use a cure spell. Leah's spell range was completely unknown to her, and it didn't really matter because neither Leah nor Ravu was there to lend a hand.

"You three," Engel's voice rang out to them, causing the three teens to turn their attention on the rising Keybearer. She stood up slowly. "Are really persistent, you know that?"

"Like I told you before," Greg brought his Claymore into his normal stance. "You are going to lose."

'He's certainly strong willed.' Engel thought to herself, with a laugh.

'He just doesn't quit.' Tami shook her head as she thought. She smiled and then glared over to Engel.

Greg glanced over to Tami. "Listen, I've probably got one attack left in me. If I hit her, we have to run." He whispered to her, grabbing Brandon's attention as well.

"Greg, we can't run now." Brandon whispered harshly.

"Look, we can't afford to keep fighting. I can't keep fighting her forever, and neither can you and Tami." Greg replied, his eyes locking on Engel, who was approaching. "One attack is all the time we need to get outta here." He lowered his Claymore and held his right hand up. Using the last bit of magic he had left, he infused it with two elements, the first taking the form of lightning. The thunder element crackled around his hand, as he clenched it into a fist several times.

'What kind of attack is that?' Brandon thought, as he gazed at it. Greg had yet to show anyone his abilities. 'Come to think of it, I haven't even seen all of his spells.'

"Look at you, all high and mighty." Engel laughed and began sprinting forward.

"I'm gonna shut you up for good." Greg murmured, as he dashed forward with double the speed. Engel continued to cackle as she swung her Keyblade, which Greg managed to block with his Claymore. The Keybearer used the momentum of the block to spin around, preparing to unleash a quick horizontal slash. Instinctively, Greg dodged, causing the blade to miss him. He took his chance at that moment…

"Sutatikku (Static)!!" He screamed, as he forced his open-palmed hand into Engel's mid section. The Keybearer felt several jolts of electricity race through her body, causing her to bellow out in agony. "Nenshou (Combustion)!!" Greg finished, as Engel was suddenly overtaken by a searing hot flame, and then was sent reeling back and into a wall, cracking it in the process.

Brandon's mouth gaped opened, while Tami was about to jump, up and down, for happiness. It was incredible how Greg was able to use such a technique, and that it involved the use of two elements. Surely it took a lot of energy, but Greg only straightened his form and looked at his two friends.

"We can't wait, let's go!" He yelled, as sheathed his claymore and began running in the direction of the East Gate.

"We're coming!" Tami replied, as she and Brandon sheathed their swords and followed behind, not even glancing back at the fallen Keybearer….

**Destiny Islands…**

A few more hours had passed on the Destiny Islands, home to the three Keyblade wielding teen saviors, and it was finally time for each of them to explain the new arisen situation to their parents. They decided it was best for them to each do it alone, for personal reasons.

Sora slowly opened the door to his home, a swift smell of delicious food flowing into his nostrils. He inhaled deeply, quietly stepping into the home and closing the door. He took a few seconds to get his thoughts together, hoping to gather up the right set of words that would explain everything in a simple and easy way.

"Sora! Is that you?" A woman's voice shot through the house.

Sora closed his eyes. "Yes, mom, it's me." He heard her footsteps traveling towards his direction. A middle-aged woman, with brown hair and crystal blue eyes, wearing a pink gown, gazed at Sora as she came into view. Out of nowhere, she grabbed and hugged him tightly. She would always do this when Sora would return home late, thankful that her son returned after another day. "I'm so glad you're home!"

"Relax, mom." Sora smiled, withdrawing from the hug. "I was just out with the others, playing some volleyball."

His mother smiled and stroked his cheek, planting a quick kiss on his forehead before turning back towards the kitchen, from whist she came. Sora frowned, knowing this was going to be a lot harder than he had thought.

The Keyblade Master trekked after his mother. "Mom!" He began, as he grabbed her arm. She turned around and stared at him.

"What is it, Sora?" She then smiled, her eyes closing as well. "You've decided what you wanted for dinner?"

"No…." Sora replied softly, as he lowered his gaze. "I have to tell you something, it's important." He looked up at his mother, as her face grew concerned.

"What about?" She asked.

"Please," He pulled her to the kitchen table. He could see that pots and pans on the stove, probably preparing dinner. "Sit down." She did as requested, still staring into her son's eyes. Sora sat down on the other end, sighing heavily.

"…Sora?"

"Mom…" Sora inhaled deeply and stared at the table. "We're…we're leaving tonight…"

"What?" His mother questioned.

"Yesterday," He began. "We got a message from the King, and we're to leave immediately. I…I'm sorry."

"You mean you're going on one of those lunatic adventures of yours?" She asked, tears forming in the corner of her eyes. "Again?"

Sora nodded, still staring down at the table. His mother wiped her eyes, in an attempt to stop them, but to no avail. She stood up and walked over to one of the stove, fiddling with the food.

Sora was at a loss of words, not knowing what to say now. His mother had just stood up and walked away, turning her back to him. Was he just supposed to get up and leave now? That was the question that appeared in his head, as he gazed at the woman.

He then heard it. Sobbing. His mother, the only family member he had ever known, was crying, and yet trying to hide it. He slowly stood up, making his way over to her.

"Mom…"

"Why do you have to go?" She asked, between sobs. "You just got back." She placed a hand over her face, trying to stop the tears from rolling down her face.

"I know, Mom, and I'm sorry. But I have a responsibility as the Keyblade Master, and I have to go." His mother gazed down at the stove and nodded her head. Each nod meant another sob, as she tried to hold back her tears. Suddenly, she pulled Sora close, hugging him tightly.

"I know, I know!" She sobbed. "Just…just be careful…and change your underwear everyday." Sora blushed at the order.

"I will, Mom." He responded, wrapping his arms around her.

* * *

"I'm sorry, but I'm going, whether you want me to or not." Riku stated firmly, as he folded his arms. He stood in his living room, facing both of his parents, who were sitting in front of him on the couch.

To anyone's surprise, Riku looked nothing like his parents. His mother had deep blue hair, almost black, and the same eyes as her son. She was thin, but pretty fit for her age. Riku's father, on the other hand, was a large man, very muscular. His head was covered in silver hair, and a silver mustache covered his upper lip, signifying that age was slowly catching up with him. His natural hair color was a dark brown color, much darker than Sora's mother's hair.

Riku's mother turned her head into her husband's chest and began to cry, while his father glared at him. "You're not going anywhere, is that clear!" He yelled.

The three of them had been arguing about whether Riku should be able to go or not. Of course, they weren't going to allow him to disappear again. And after hearing about his past adventures, they didn't want him dwelling in the darkness again.

"I must go, and I will." Riku sighed heavily. "I know you guys don't want me to go, but I have to." He picked his bag up from the couch. "Please, forgive me." He bowed his head and headed towards the door.

"Son, wait." His father's words ceased Riku's steps and caused him to glance back. His father ran his hand down his wife's back, repeatedly, as he gazed at Riku. "I know we don't see eye to eye on everything, but I want you to know that we love you son."

"Th-That's right." Riku's mother added, looking up at him. "Please, be safe on your journey."

"I love you guys too." Riku replied, as he gave them a small smile and headed out the door.

* * *

"Yo, Riku!" Sora's voice echoed through the night, causing the silver-haired teen to gaze towards his friend, who was running down the beach towards him. Sora stopped before him and placed his hands on his knees, panting. Over his shoulder was a bag, probably filled with clothes and such.

"Where's Kairi?" Riku asked.

"Don't know." Sora replied, as he finally able to catch his breath. "I was going to ask you the same thing."

"I knew it." Riku frowned as he looked towards the water. Kairi's parents were a lot different than either Riku's or Sora's. They weren't so easily persuaded that they were off saving the world. Instead, they had thought Riku and Sora had taken Kairi somewhere, in an effort to 'get to know her better'. Even the Keyblades weren't enough to persuade them.

"Knew what?" Sora asked.

Riku sighed. "Kairi's parents aren't going to let her go with us."

"Oh yeah, I forgot." Sora replied, thinking back to the day that had come back home and explained everything to them. Kairi's parents, perhaps, were the only people that didn't believe their story about the Heartless and Nobodies, as well as Ansem and Organization XIII.

"I say we go and bust her out." Sora said, breaking his own train of thought.

"Hm, it's worth a shot." Riku responded.

"C'mon!" Sora began running up the beach and towards the houses far up the beach. Riku sighed and followed suit.

It wasn't long before they reached Kairi's house, which was, perhaps, the biggest house on the island. Before they could even knock, Kairi yelled out to them in a whisper.

"Wha…Kairi? Where are you?" Sora asked, looking around.

"Up here!" Kairi whispered, causing the boys to look towards the window. The Princess of Heart was already prepared to leave, with her bag sitting on the window seal. "I knew you two would come."

"Yeah, yeah, would you hurry up and get down here so we can go?" Riku folded his arms and began tapping his foot.

"Oh, quiet, Riku!" She snapped as she began climbing out of the window.

"I got you, Kairi." Sora stepped up with his arms out, ready to catch. He didn't really expect her to jump, but she did anyway, landing in his arms and also knocking him to the ground.

"Thanks Sora!" She smiled, as she stood up and brushed herself off.

"N-no problem." Sora groaned, as he slowly made his way to his feet, rubbing his stomach.

"Anyway, let's get going. If I remember correctly, Mickey lent us a ship just in case. It should be on the island we used to play on." Riku began to make his way in that island's direction.

"Well, we're off on another adventure and won't be back till next year." Sora chuckled.

"Yeah, and by the time we're twenty-six, we'll finally finish high school, at this rate." Riku added.

* * *

Meanwhile, just ahead of the Keyblade Wielders, a lost man was having quite a bit of trouble…

"Okay, so…" He looked down at the sheet of paper, before frowning. "Find Sora, Riku and Kairi…I don't even know what they look like!" He exclaimed loudly. He tilted his head back, towards the sky. He was a thin man, but not as thin as you would think. He had short, slick brown hair and a thin mustache. He would have shaved it off early, if his superior officer hadn't sent him out on some stupid treasure hunt. He was dressed in a tan trench coat, brown slacks tucked in his black boots. His chest was covered in a golden chain mail. He looked as if he was in his mid-twenties.

He glanced at the paper again. "And they're supposed to be Keybearers? Thought they all died years ago?" He shrugged and began walking along the beach. "I guess I just have to find the three people that can make an abnormally large key appear out of thin air, like magic." He said, sarcastically. "Give me a break."

He walked a bit further, before catching glimpse of three teens; two males and on female. Though they didn't seem like the type that could summon a Keyblade. Some kid with white hair, like he had been worrying a bit too much, lead the group, followed by a goofy looking male with brown hair. The third person, the female, was a frail, looking girl, but seemed to be bossing the goofy one around.

"Eh, can't hurt to ask." The man shrugged, as he waved his hands in the air, grabbing their attention. "Hey! You three!"

Riku was the first to reply, with a "Who are you?"

"Just a lost guy." The man shrugged, as he glanced back down at the paper, again. "Uh…one of your names wouldn't happen to be Sora, Riku, or Kairi, would it?"

"Yeah, Sora's my name." Sora replied, earning him a nudge from Riku.

"We don't even know who this guy is, you can't be giving your name freely." Riku sighed.

"And I'm guessing you're Riku, and you're Kairi." The man grinned, pointing to them individually. He looked back down at the paper. "Okay, and it says here that you are to come with me."

"Why?" Kairi questioned.

"It just says so." The man shrugged.

"Well, we have somewhere to be, so we're not going with you." Riku murmured, as he continued to walk to the beach, only to have the man step in front of him.

"It says here "If they refuse to cooperate, use force to persuade them."." The man scratched his head. "They could have sent back-up if they knew this was going to happen." He shrugged, again, and stuffed the paper into his coat pocket. "Okay, well, I guess I'll have to beat you three into coming with me."

"Hah, you wish!" Sora grinned, as he called the Kingdom Key to his right hand. Riku and Kairi followed, summoning their Keyblades, The Way To Dawn and the Roaring Petal.

"Man…bummer…" The man reached into his pocket and retrieved a small, think stick-looking object. He threw it into the air and watched it grow in length, to about six feet. He reached up and caught it, before shouldering it. "I heard you three were good."

"We're better than good." Sora replied.

"But then again," The man began. "You went against Organization XIII, thirteen of the weakest wimps." He spun his Iron Bo Staff around and into a fighting stance.

"Heh, I bet any one of them could have taken you down." Riku smirked.

"One tried, and that's the reason it was called Organization XIII." The man frowned again.

Kairi raised an eyebrow. "Do you mean there was more than thirteen members?"

The man shrugged again. "Heck if I know, I'm just playing with your heads." He chuckled.

"You're pretty cocky, you know that?!" Sora rushed forward, his Keyblade ready to be brought down.

"Whoa! Slow your roll, cowboy." The man swung his Bo Staff, deflecting Sora's Keyblade away and then kicked him in the stomach, sending him back, onto the ground. But the Keyblade Master quickly jumped back to his feet, shaking his head to relieve it of the sand.

"I haven't even introduced myself yet." The man chuckled.

'He knocked Sora back without even trying…' Riku thought to himself, as his grip tightened around his Keyblade. "So, who are you?"

"Colonel Mandero, of the Rambosan Army." The man, Colonel Mandero, bowed his head. "Now, can you make this easier for both of us, and just come with me?"

"Not a chance!" Sora shouted, as he stepped forward, only to have Riku pass by him and attack first.

"You seem pretty full of yourself, let's see what you've got." The Dark Keybearer murmured, as he brought his Keyblade around in a 360-degree, horizontal spin. Mandero shifted his Bo Staff forward, blocking the attack with ease. He lowered it and carried it into Riku's stomach, spinning him around and hurling him into the shallow water near the shore.

Sora was next to attack, while Riku took the time to recover. The Keyblade Master swayed across the sand, finally hurling his Keyblade in a Strike Raid. Mandero extended his Bo Staff, catching the Keyblade by his hilt and throwing it back, catching the Keyblade Master by his neck and knocking him onto the ground.

"Sora! Riku!" Kairi exclaimed, as she watched her two friends fail to hit the man. "Guess it's my turn." She pointed her Keyblade at him. "Fire!"

A fireball emerged from her Keyblade and flew towards Mandero, before he slapped it away with his hand.

"Wow…these are the Great Keyblade Masters?" The Colonel questioned. "Agent Engel is better than you three, combined."

Riku scoffed as he rushed forward again, flinging his arm forward in the process. "Dark Firaga!" He yelled, as a black fireball emerged from his hands and headed towards the Colonel. But before it could reach him, another figure appeared and smashed the fireball into the ground, causing it to disperse.

The new figure was a large, bulky man, sporting almost the same outfit as Mandero; only his trench coat was blue. His hair seemed to be a dark blue color, almost black, and flat at the top. He stood up, his navy colored eyes staring fiercely at the Keyblade Masters. He picked his large weapon up, which was a metal hammer of some kind, and slung it over his shoulder.

"Colonel Mandero, what is the meaning of this?" He asked, his voice sending chills down Kairi's spine.

"Eh, well…they didn't want to come along, Colonel Jefferson." Mandero shrugged.

"And we don't plan to!" Sora shouted, as he swung his Keyblade through the air in defense.

"You don't have a choice." Jefferson murmured, as he glared over at the boy. He scanned the area, looking at the other two. From what he had witness, the boy, Sora, was quite used to fighting at close range, while the girl, Kairi, focused mainly on spells and long distance fighting. Riku, on the other hand, could fight at close range or at a distance. Surely they had some skill, having beaten all of the Organization members.

"Sora, I'll handle the new guy, you take care of the other." Riku demanded, as he brought his Keyblade into position.

"Alright." Sora replied, as he threw a glance at Kairi to grab her attention. "Provide back-up, Kairi."

"Okay." Kairi nodded, assuring him that she would do her best.

In a burst of speed, Riku dashed forward, his Keyblade ready to strike. Sora, on the other end, did the same thing, rushing towards Mandero as fast as he could, with his Keyblade ready.

"Sorry to say this," Colonel Jefferson began, as he batted Riku's Keyblade away with his hammer, sending it flying into the air. Not being able to move, as quickly, Jefferson was able to hit Riku with a returning swing, sending him hurling to the ground. "But we're not the Organization."

"That's right." Colonel Mandero added, as he brought his Bo Staff up and blocked Sora's swing. The Keyblade Master stepped back, pointing his Keyblade at the Colonel.

"Blizzaga!" He yelled, unleashed a series of ice shards swords the man, who spun his Bo Staff rapidly in order to deflect the attack with ease. "Kairi!" He yelled, as he rushed forward.

"Right! Stop!" Kairi yelled, as the spell took over Mandero. Sora took his chance and rushed forward and leaping into the air. Bringing his Keyblade to his side, he brought it forward, only to have it blocked by the second Colonel.

"How quickly you forgot about me." Jefferson murmured, as he forced his foot into Sora's chest, sending him flying back. He flipped and managed to land on his feet, right beside Riku and Kairi.

"These guys…they're good." Riku murmured.

"I figured that already." Sora added.

Mandero shook his head, snapping himself from the Stop spell. He glanced towards the three Keyblade Wielders, who had grouped together. "What the heck?"

"Just come with us, and we can avoid the rest of this." Jefferson stepped forward.

Sora gritted his teeth and looked at his friend. He then leapt into the air. "RIKU!"

"SORA!" Riku yelled, as he leapt into the air as well. Sora flew forward with a newfound speed and pummeled, both, Jefferson and Mandero with his Keyblade, before moving aside and letting Riku unleash a barrage of Dark Firagas, sending the two Colonels back. The two Keyblade Masters backed away, now floating back to back, and began swinging thirteen swords, each, slicing into the Colonels' skins.

"Riku!" Sora yelled, as he backed away, flinging his Keyblade towards his friend.

"Sora!" Riku shouted, repeating the same thing. Their Keyblades met up, drawing both Colonels towards them, and then unleashed their power, lighting up the sky in the process.

"Let's move!" Riku whispered, as he took off, running, down the beach. Sora grabbed Kairi's hands and pulled her along, hoping that the two Colonels would see them escape. They would have to take the long way around in order to get to the Gummi Ship.

Minutes later, the light faded and the Colonels found themselves along. Colonel Jefferson grunted in anger while Colonel Mandero seemed to sigh in relief.

"We lost them. The General isn't going to be pleased with us." Jefferson murmured, glaring over at Mandero.

"Not my problem." Mandero shrugged.

"Shut up and let's go. They have to be around her, somewhere." Jefferson ordered, as he walked down the beach. Mandero followed in suit.

* * *

Shortly after, Sora, Riku and Kairi found themselves on one of the boats, making their way to the island they used to play on as kids.

"I can't believe how strong those two were. We didn't even faze them with out last attack." Sora muttered.

"I guess they weren't kidding when they said the Organization was bunch of wimps." Riku added, as he rowed the boat towards the shore. "Even though we weren't trying, we should have been able to find a weakness without that much trouble."

"Instead, we got our butts whooped." Sora lowered his head. Riku leapt from the boat and pulled it to shore.

"Anyway, we have to get to Disney Castle. Maybe the King knows something we don't." Riku murmured, as Sora and Kairi climbed out of the boat. Riku lead the way, while the other two followed. Sora wasn't stupid; he knew what Riku was doing. So he took his chance…

"Kairi…" Sora murmured lowly, grabbing her attention. She had been quiet ever since they had escaped from those two Colonels. Her eyes didn't even meet Sora's; they only focused on his chest.

"Sora…I'm sorry…" She whispered, her gaze going back towards the ground. "I wasn't much help in the fight back there…"

"It-It's okay, Kairi. None of us were able to beat them." Sora replied quickly, placing a hand on her back. "Don't worry about it, we'll get stronger and show those guys whose boss."

'Failed again.' Riku thought, as he shook his head. They soon arrived on the other side of the island, where the Gummi Ship, Highwind, waited for them. Riku wasted no time in opening the door and beckoning his friends to hurry up.

Upon entering, Sora leapt into the pilot's seat, only to be thrown out by Riku.

"Donald and Goofy told me how you drive, and I'll be damned if we're going to have the same incidents." Riku chuckled, as he sat down and typed in the coordinates. Sora frowned and sat down in the weapons seat, while Kairi sat in the back.

"It was an accident." Sora grunted.

"That's what they all say." Riku laughed, as he started the ship up and directed it into space…

**Ragnias City…**

"Ravu, we have to hurry." Leah declared, as she leapt onto another building and turned to her friend, who was lagging behind.

"I'm…coming." Ravu murmured, still panting, as she jumped onto the building. She looked back to see no one following them. "I guess…he gave….up?"

"No, he didn't, that's why we have to keep going." Leah replied, trying to avoid the pain echoing through her body, from the blows she took in battle. Though they couldn't see where the Lieutenant Colonel had gone, Leah knew he was still following them, whether Ravu believed it or not.

"Fine…fine…" Ravu frowned. Her little adrenaline rush was over and the pain had all rushed into her body a few minutes ago, causing her to become greatly fatigued. She was hoping that Greg and the others were fairing a lot better than them.

Leah grabbed Ravu's hand and pulled her along, hoping that the decrease in pace wouldn't allow baldy to catch up. Then again, he would probably catch up, eventually, if they didn't reach the East Wall soon.

They had been running for quite some time. How long, exactly, was beyond them. They just knew they had to make it out, and hope that Greg, Brandon and Tami made it out safely, as well. Of course, they only had a few knights to deal with, unless they had run into Lieutenant Ganboia before.

"I see it." Ravu pointed at the east wall, which stood almost a story higher than the building they were on.

"Where do you think you're going?!" A voice shouted from behind. The two Keyblade Wielders almost shrieked as they heard the voice. Leah slowly looked back, her eyes meeting Ganboia's. But she didn't continue to glare at him; she just pulled Ravu along, making her way towards the East Wall.

"He's coming." Ravu murmured, as she turned around to look at the male, who was slowly approaching, his mace glowing with the same energy moments ago.

"I'm going to kill you both, with one shot." Ganboia cackled harshly, as he stepped forward again, shaking the building the two were on.

"Not a chance!" Ravu yanked her hand away from Leah and pointed her Keyblade at Ganboia. "Firaga Art: Maximale Feuerkugel!" She yelled, as three large fireballs emerged.

Whether they crashed into Ganboia, or not, Ravu didn't know, because as soon as she finished, Leah grabbed her hand and flew into the air, slowly hovering over the East Wall, before floating down to the ground and collapsing there.

Leah stood up, trying to forget the pain in her body, and helped Ravu up. "Let's go." She said, as she sprinted through the field and towards the forest that lie in the distance…

* * *

"I can see the gate!" Tami yelled with joy, as she pointed ahead. "We're almost there!" She glanced back at the two boys that were following closely behind her.

"I hope the others made it out." Brandon said, as they ran down the street, towards the gate. He could see two Knights standing guard. "You think we can take them Greg?"

But Greg didn't reply. Brandon glanced back to see Greg lying on the ground, having passed out. Brandon stopped, immediately, and rushed to him.

"Tami!" He yelled, causing the girl to stop. Gasping, she rushed over to their sides.

"Wha…What happened?" She asked, kneeling down beside him.

"I don't know, he was just lying here." Brandon replied, as he picked his unconscious friend up. "But we can't sit here and wait for him to wake up. Let's go." He ordered, as he carried him down the street, towards the gate.

"But…those Knights." Tami exclaimed. "I don't have the magic to stop them if they attack."

"Don't worry." Brandon murmured, as the Knights looked towards them.

The first Knight stepped forward. "I'm sorry, but we aren't allowing anyone to leave the-"

"Stop!" Brandon yelled, unleashing the time spell on the two Knights. "Tami, now." Tami nodded and unsheathed her sword, quickly giving each Knight a good whacking, before she and Brandon exited the city, carrying Greg along.

"We have to get to the forest. Once there, we'll be able to hide from them." Tami instructed.

"Yeah, let's just hope the others beat us there…" Brandon murmured.

* * *

**So what did you guys think? Let me know in a review. Fourth chapter will hopefully be up soon, and a new character will be joining us. That's it for today, laterz.**


	4. Chapter 4: New Beginnings, New Faces, an

**Here's Chapter 4 of the story. Not much to say here, so just read and review. Thanks in advance.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts, but I do own the things you HAVE NOT heard of in this fic. This story is un-betaed, or whatever you call it.**

* * *

**_Chapter Four: New Beginnings, New Faces, and A New Problem_**

**Ragnias Forest…**

Ravu collapsed onto the ground, while Leah supported herself by placing her hand on a tree. The two girls were panting heavily, having run the whole way across the field and into the forest. They weren't sure if Ganboia was following them and, at the moment, they didn't really care.

The forest was dark and damp, due to the treetops blocking out most of the sunlight. The forest creatures could be heard in the distance, as well as the insects that lived in the area. From Ravu's previous knowledge, it would take them some time to actually get to the other side of the forest.

But that was not an issue to them now; they were more worried about Greg, Tami and Brandon, who they had failed to find upon entering the forest. Thoughts of what 'might have' happened entered the teens' minds.

Had they been caught?

"Leah," Ravu began, as she pushed herself up, having regained some strength, and settled herself on a log. "Where do you think the others are?"

"I don't know." Leah replied. "My thoughts are that they are still in the city. I just hope they didn't get caught…"

"If they ran into Ganboia, they're as good as caught." Ravu sighed, gripping her right arm in an effort to soothe the pain. "We shouldn't have split up."

"I have to agree with you." Leah lowered her head.

"God, he's heavy!"

Leah and Ravu looked towards the origin of the familiar voice, daring to summon their blades of legend. They could hear someone approaching their location, and seemed to be making a lot of ruckus. It was not long before Brandon and Tami came into view, both of them carrying an unconscious Greg.

The two stopped and stared at Leah and Ravu for a moment, shocked to see them, before releasing a sigh of relief.

"Oh man, we are happy to see you two!" Brandon smiled, as he and Tami walked over and placed Greg down, against one of the trees. "We weren't sure we were going to make it."

"What happened?" Ravu asked, as Brandon set down next to her. Tami threw herself against a tree to rest, slouching down in the process.

"We ran into a Keyblade Wielder." Brandon sighed.

The one sentence caused Ravu and Leah to stare in shock. Not only were the Rambosan Officers strong, but they had a Keybearer among the ranks as well. That made things so much worse.

"And she kicked our butts good." Tami murmured, as she closed her eyes, trying to rest her body.

Ravu rushed over to Greg and knelt down beside him, checking his pulse. She sighed in relief, knowing he was alive. Still, she felt angry that he was in such a state. Her eyes traveled to Tami, and then Brandon.

"And what happened to my _brother_?" Ravu asked.

"Brother?" Leah questioned.

"Uh…well…" Brandon lowered his head.

Tami opened her eyes slowly, staring over at Ravu. "To tell you the truth, Greg was the only one who stood a chance against her. Then, he got hurt somehow, so we made a run for it. And," She looked around and spread her arms. "Here we are."

Ravu tried her best to smile. "As long as everyone is safe."

While Ravu began to look for Greg's pulse, Brandon could have sworn he had heard something. Someone, or something, was coming, and they were moving fast. He could feel it in the ground below.

"Guys," He grabbed their attention. "I think we should keep going." The group quieted down for a moment as the noise grew louder. Several clicks flared through the air, as seven knights stepped out from behind the trees.

"We have you now! No more running!" One shouted.

"Darn…." Leah outstretched her hand back, preparing to call forth one of her Keyblades.

"This sucks." Tami added, from her spot on the ground. She was in no condition to get up now, frightened that they would shoot if she made a sudden movement. "We're in no condition to fight them…"

"So what do we do?" Brandon placed his hand on the handle of his sword.

"Get down on the ground! Now!" Shouted a knight.

"Looks like we don't have a choice." Ravu growled, as the pain from the previous battles came rushing into her body. She could feel her legs about to give out, but she remained standing.

Small drops of water began to fall from above, down onto the knights. For some strange reason, beyond Ravu and the others, the rain only seemed to fall on the knights. A series of questions, from the knights, accompanied the rainfall.

"Stay clear of that water…" Ravu whispered, keeping her eyes on the knights around them. Gasps began to fill the quiet air, as orbs of water appeared around the knights' heads. Confused, the knights tried to break the bubble of water, but failed miserably.

They began to panic, each desperately attempting to burst the bubble and receive the air that was needed to fill their lungs. Some even fired off a few rounds at the bubble, in a blind rage and an attempt to break free, and shot himself through the helmet, killing himself instantly. Others dropped their guns and began to try and pry themselves free with their hands, only to fail yet again. Some even went as far as to use their swords to try and pop it, but to no avail.

Slowly, but surely, due to lack of oxygen, the knights began to fall, one-by-one. Not one had managed to break free from the bubble's grip, and the others were beginning to panic themselves.

"Hey," A feminine voice whispered behind them. Brandon and the others turned around, seeing a girl step out from the shadows and into the light. Her electric blue hair, which extended towards her back, lit up as the sun's rays beam down upon her. She had peanut-butter colored skin and violet colored eyes, sporting a light blue training bra covered by a short, white vest. A light blue pair of spandex shorts covered her bottom, as well as a pair of thigh-high boots. She also had a tattoo of a blue dragon on the left of her bellybutton, and a bag hanging around her waist. Strapped onto her back was a long Bo Staff.

"Great." Ravu growled, stepping back.

"Who are you?" Leah demanded.

"Come quickly! More will be coming!" The girl whispered to them, as she turned and ran. "Hurry! Follow me!"

Ravu's eyes went back towards her friends. "Should we?"

"Either that, or we face those knights again." Brandon answered, as he and Tami picked up the unconscious body of Greg.

"Let's go. There isn't much we can lose." Leah added, as the group headed through the forest, following the girl.

**Ragnias City…**

Inside the city, people were gathering around as Lieutenant Colonel Ganboia made his way down the street, each step shaking the ground slightly. His eyes burned with an untamed rage, having been outwitted by two female Keyblade Wielders.

His Giant Mace ripped the ground, as he pulled it along, not bothering to pick it up. The remaining Knights followed around him, some even questioning him on how he was holding up.

Obviously, he wasn't doing so good…

One Knight crashed into the wall of one off the buildings, after flying through the crowd from being hit by the L.C. Sudden gasps echoed through the crowds, along with a few whispers.

"You idiots! Where were you when I told you to capture them?!" Ganboia shouted, the Knights staggering back at the yell of his voice. "Frightened, as always!"

"Lieutenant Colonel, Leah J. Seraphiel and the blue haired girl were too much for us, we are sorry." One of the Knights bowed respectfully.

"You weak fools!" He yelled, slamming his mace into the bowing Knight's back, forcing him to the ground. He brought the mace up to his shoulder and continued, stomping through the street, towards the East Gate.

A middle-aged woman, who had been passing by, witnessed the whole ordeal. She felt a tingle go down her spine, and it was not a good feeling. She began to panic, slightly, her hands beginning to tremble.

It was Sophia…

"Leah? Blue…Blue haired girl?" Sophia could not help but put a hand over her mouth, to stop herself from yelling out. She knew something was wrong; it was a mother's intuition. She picked her bags up and rushed home as fast as she could…

* * *

"Agent Engel, are you okay?"

The Agent opened her eyes, staring at the shining suits of armor that stood over her. She pushed herself up, before cringing in pain, placing her hands over her mid-section, and falling back to the ground. She managed to tilt her head up to see a large hole in her shaggy robe.

That last attack that boy had used managed to eat all the way through her clothing and into her skin, doing a considerable amount of damage. She couldn't believe that she had been caught off guard by such an attack. And she could barely believe that the boy was able to use such a high-level technique in the first place.

"We'll help you, Agent Engel." One of the Knights assured her, as they reached down and picked her up by her arms, helping her to her feet. A growl of pain slipped from Engel's mouth, as the pain from the battle before washed through her body.

"Damn those brats…" She cursed, taking a step forward.

"Don't worry about walking, we'll help you back to the Gate." Another Knight insisted.

Engel nearly turned and hit the Knight, if not for all the pain she was in. She took the time to shake her head from side to side, signifying that she wanted to walk on her own.

"I'm fine…" She murmured, painfully. "Where did…those three kids…go?"

"I'm sorry, Agent Engel, but they got away." The Knight replied. "We've already sent the message out for all Knights to begin searching for them."

"No," Engel began to, steadily, begin walking again. "Search for…the Keybearers…"

"Turns out that they managed to get away from Lieutenant Colonel Ganboia too."

"What?" Engel questioned, her eyes widening. She glanced back. "Are you serious?"

"Yes ma'am."

The Agent frowned. "I can't believe this." She turned and continued walking. "General Blazer isn't going to be happy about this."

* * *

Sophia rushed through the door to her home and shut them quickly, throwing her groceries on the couch and running upstairs as fast as she could go.

"Greg? Ravu? Are you two here?" She yelled, as she rushed into Ravu's room. It was vacant. She turned and ran to Greg's room, and to her surprise, it was also vacant. Had something happened to them?

She shook the thought away and returned back down stairs. Running through the living room without a glance around, she hurried into the kitchen, hoping to find one of the two in there.

Again, there was no one….

She returned to the living room, slowly beginning to sniffle. She looked around, as if she had missed something, and then her watery eyes focused on the letter lying on the table, right next to a box. She took less than a second to pick it up and begin reading…

_Dear Sophia,_

_I'm sorry we weren't able to tell you this in person, but the others insisted that we write to you, instead of taking the chance of you keeping us here._

_Ravu, as well as Greg, Brandon, Leah, and myself have headed out for the Royal City of Rambosa. A few problems have come up, and too many questions need to be answered, so we're heading there to answer them._

_Do not worry about us; we plan on getting there safely, as well as returning in the same condition. We weren't planning this out, and we were really hoping to have more time to tell you. If you're reading this, you've probably learned that the Rambosan Knights are in town, and they are looking for Ravu and Leah. I don't really know why, something about a "Keyblade"._

_Brandon and I want to ask you to tell our parents where we're going, as we didn't have enough time to do so. Again, I'm sorry we had to leave on such short notice._

_Sincerely,_

_Tami B._

_P.S. – Greg and Ravu wanted to let you know that they love you and that they'll bring everyone back safely. They hope you like the present they left you!_

_P.S.S. – Brandon just wanted to let you know that he took some of your Birthday cake along with us, just so you know who took it._

Sophia unconsciously placed a hand over her mouth as she finished reading. She could not believe that they had really left for Rambosa. She did not want to believe them, but with those Knights looking for them, she had no choice. All she could do now was hope they were going to keep their word and stay safe.

Her eyes traveled to the box lying on the table, which was nothing more than a cardboard box, about the size of one of her rectangle cake pans. She picked it up and placed it in her lap, watching as a few tears hit the top of it. She slowly opened it and placed the lid next to her on the couch.

Inside was nothing more than a bundle of photos. The top photo was a picture of a much younger version of her, along with a young version of Greg, who was grinning and holding a birthday hate on his head.

Sophia sniffed a bit and removed that photo, taking a look at the next, which was a picture of a young version of herself and Ravu. Ravu had a spatula in one hand, an apron over her chest, and a cooking book in the other hand, which she was reading instead of smiling for the picture.

The woman gave another sniffle and took out the photo. The next picture was of herself, Ravu and Greg. Greg was sitting on the ground, cross-legged and frowning, while Ravu was resting her elbow on top of his head. Sophia was standing behind them, smiling at the two of them.

Again, she removed the picture and went on to the next, trying not to allow herself to cry. In the next photo, she was watching as the young Ravu chased the young Greg around with a spatula. She gave a soft laugh as she moved on.

The next few pictures included Brandon and Tami as well. In one, Brandon and Greg were pushing Sophia into a lake, while Tami just laughed on shore. In another, Brandon had closed in and took up the whole picture with his face, with a few small background views of the others. One had the group just laughing at Ravu, who was covered in cake.

The last photo almost made Sophia burst into tears. The picture was of herself, Greg and Ravu all posing together and smiling. At the top of picture were the words, _"One Big Happy Family"_.

She sniffled and placed the photo out of the box, just in case any more were left. Instead, she found another box, a very small one. She took it out and opened it, revealing the necklace inside, shaped like a heart with the word, "Mom" on the front. She took the charm into her hands and flipped it around, where it read, _"To a loving mother, from a loving son and daughter."_

Sophia could feel tears cascading down her cheeks, while a smile made it's way to her face.

"Please…be safe…" She managed to say.

* * *

"_**How could you lose to two little girls, Ganboia?! Everything you do, you prove you're the pathetic excuse for a L.C.!" **_The voice on the phone snapped, causing Ganboia to pull it away from his ears.

"Again, I apologize. We underestimated their skill, and-" Ganboia was cut off again.

**_"How could you underestimate their skill?! They are called Keyblade Wielders for a reason! They're the reason the Organization fell so quickly!"_**

Ganboia continued to get the verbal beating about his stupidity, as Agent Engel and the other Knights made their way through the Gate and towards the large trucks.

The Lieutenant Colonel took one look at the Agent and began to laugh aloud.

"_**And just what are you laughing at?"**_

"N-Nothing." Ganboia replied quickly. "Agent Engel has just arrived, and it seems that she did not fair well either."

**_"Both of you are hopeless! I knew sending an L.C. and an Agent was idiotic, but I didn't think it would turn out like this."_** Ganboia could hear the person on the other line sigh heavily. **_"For your sake, you better hope General Blazer isn't around. I'll inform General Robert though."_**

Before Ganboia could protest, the line went dead and he threw it to the ground. "Damn it…" He stared over at the Agent for a moment. "What the hell happened to you?" He asked, staring at the whole in her robe.

"Those kids." Engel murmured, as she rested her body by leaning against the side truck. "They were a lot stronger than we thought."

"You don't have to tell me that." Ganboia replied, looking towards the forest. "I sent a few Knights into the forest, having seen the two Keyblade Wielders run in there. So far, I haven't heard a thing from them."

"That's because we continue to underestimate them." Engel shook her head. "Those Knights are as good as dead." She opened the door to the truck. "Let's load up and head out, we have to find them."

**Onboard the Highwind…**

Sora shook his head, for the seventh time, trying to keep himself awake. After continuously watching the stars and planets pass by at speeds that he couldn't even imagine, one would get drowsy.

He turned his head slightly, looking over in Riku's direction.

"Hey, Riku, how much longer until we reach Disney Castle?" He asked, causing the older teen to sigh from the front.

"It's going to take awhile, Sora." Riku responded. "The pathways to all the worlds have been re-locked, again, which means we'll have to travel there the old fashioned way."

"And that is?" Kairi questioned.

"We fly through space and eventually get to where we're going." The white-haired teen pressed a few buttons, causing a large, transparent screen to appear. "Currently, Disney Castle is 2.3 light-years away. And with the Highwind's speed, and basic beginner engine, it's going to take us a few hours to get there."

"Hours?!" Sora exclaimed, nearly jumping out of his seat. "We can't warp to Disney Castle?!"

"That requires a Warp pathway, Sora, and those, too, are currently locked." Riku explained. His turquoise eyes stared back at his friend. "Next time, don't pick such a lousy ship to keep on the island."

"Wasn't my idea," Sora placed his elbow on the chair and propped his head into his hand. "Kairi was the one that thought it was cute, just because it was tinier than the other ships."

"Hey, don't try and pin this on me." Kairi snapped, folding her arms.

"It doesn't really matter now." Riku spoke up, before the two could start fussing. "This is what we have, and we'll have to work with it. So just sit back, shut up, and find something to occupy yourselves while you wait."

"Ugh….this is going to be a long ride." Sora groaned.

* * *

_The young Greg, around the age of six, opened the door to the room, peaking his head inside to get a better look. A small girl with long black hair, around the age of four, who was playing by herself, turned around quickly, having been startled by the sound of the door._

_A smile graced her face, as she stood up, wobbling slightly, and ran over to him._

"_Brother! You came to play with me!" She cheered happily._

"_Shhhh." Greg placed a finger over his lips. "It's late, don't make so much noise." He looked back into the halls, to make sure no one was watching, and entered the room. "Okay, Rebecca, I came to play with you, like I promised." He smiled._

_Rebecca could barely contain herself, as she leeched onto Greg and hugged him. "Thank you!" She withdrew from the hug, grabbed one of his hands, and pulled him over to where she was just playing at._

_Greg looked down at the series of toys, little action figures and baby dolls. He smiled as they knelt down beside each other and each picked up one._

"_Okay, I'll play the princess, and you'll be the bad man trying to get me." Rebecca explained, as she prepped her doll. She giggled and began moving the doll around, imitating a voice to go with it. Greg did the same, acting as if he was chasing the doll around with the toy he had picked up._

_Suddenly, the two of them could hear the door open. Their heads turned around quickly, curious of whom it might be. The shady figure standing in the doorway was a man, a tall man, whose features were shrouded by the shadows._

"_Greg, what are you doing in here?" The man asked, stepping a foot inside. His voice made the two children tremble, and even caused Rebecca to wince and grab onto her brother._

"_I was just playing with Rebecca. I told her-"_

"_It's time for your training. Let's go." The man ordered, his glare piercing through the shrouded shadows._

"_But father, I-_

"_NOW!"_

_Greg lowered his gaze, turning his attention to Rebecca. "Sorry sis…" He whispered, as he dropped the toy, stood up, and walked to the door. The shady figure snatched his hand and pulled him out the door, slamming it in the process. Greg could hear the sobs of Rebecca as he was pulled down the hallway._

_As they neared the end of the hallway, another door opened slightly, just enough for a small boy to peak his head through. Their eyes met for a moment, before Greg lowered his gaze once again._

_Jason watched as his brother and father disappeared around the corner. Shaking his head, he closed the door and retreated back into his room…_

**Ragnias Forest…**

Greg slowly opened his eyes, staring blankly up at the opening in the trees, revealing the night sky. He blinked for a few moments, rethinking about the dream he just had, if it were to be called a dream.

He remembered them, his younger brother and sister. The night they had escaped the Royal City was the night he never saw them again. He did not know whether to believe that they were dead, or that maybe they had returned to the Royal City of Rambosa. Either way, he was going to find out once they arrived at the city.

"I think he's awake." A voice whispered.

Greg glanced next to him, seeing Brandon, Tami, Leah, Ravu, and an un-familiar girl sitting around a fire. He glanced at the new girl and her qualities, mostly her electric blue hair and darkened skin. He then looked at his friends, who were covered in various bandages, as well as bruises. Leah had a few outward scrapes, Brandon had a few band-aids on his visible being, and Tami seemed to be unscathed, while Ravu's right arm was wrapped up in bandages.

"Oh good," Tami glanced towards the newcomer. "I think your spell work, Opalaisha."

The girl nodded, as she watched Greg push himself up, wincing slightly. "I wasn't able to heal the bones, but I regenerated any outward wounds and his fatigue."

Greg looked down at his shirtless body. His mid-section, over his ribs, was wrapped in tight, white bandages. He could feel a sharp pain rush through his body as he continued to push himself into a sitting position.

"What happened? Where are we?" He asked, looking around.

"We made it out of the city." Brandon told him, grinning all the while. "Though, you kind of passed out before we were actually out."

"Yeah, and Opalaisha fixed you up." Ravu smiled.

"It was nothing, really." Opalaisha replied. "I was just in the area at the time, and you all seemed to be having a rough time." She glanced at Greg. "I'm Opalaisha, by the way."

"I'm Greg." Greg responded, smiling. "Thanks." He looked around again. "How long was I out for?"

"Few hours." Leah glanced at him. "Four at the most."

"That last move you used really took a lot out of you." Brandon chuckled. "Where'd you learn how to use that?"

Greg shrugged. "About two years ago, I think. I have lots more, but, as you can see, I'm not in the best state to show you." He laughed.

"You'll show me when you're better then?" Greg nodded.

"Since you're awake, we can discuss the matters at hand." Leah spoke up, drawing all attention towards her. "First off, we have to get out of this forest and to the closest town. We can't go forever without food and supplies."

"But we have birthday cake…" Brandon murmured, reaching into one of the two bags and pulling out a box.

"We can't live on cake, stupid." Ravu sighed.

"I can!" He grinned, as he opened it and began eating.

"Unfortunately," Tami added. "Does anyone know what the next town is called? I've been there a few times before, but I can't remember."

"My guess is as good as yours." Leah looked around. "Anyone know?"

Ravu took a guess. "I think it's called Zemba, or something like that."

"You must mean the Mining Town of Zemblar, a few miles outside of this forest." Opalaisha corrected her.

"Yeah, that's it!" Ravu scratched her head. "But how'd you know?"

"I was there a few days ago. It's not far from here."

"Should we head on out then?" Brandon asked, as he finished his piece of cake.

"If we were to start now, we'd probably reach it by sunrise." Greg explained. "But traveling in the dark would be costly."

"Greg's right." Leah told them. "We should wait it out here, until morning. That way, we can rest up and be in the best shape as possible tomorrow, just in case those Knights come for us again."

"I agree"

"Me too."

"Well, I don't!"

Everyone frowned. "Brandon, your vote doesn't count." Ravu murmured, causing the boy to look saddened. "Now, who wants to go and get firewood?!"

"…"

"…"

Brandon and Greg looked off in opposite directions, pretending to occupy themselves with something else. Unfortunately, Ravu saw right through it.

"Oh! Greg! Brandon! How nice of you two boys to volunteer!" Greg and Brandon turned around, confused.

"Wha-"

"You heard me! Hop to it!" She shouted.

Greg pushed himself up, making a few grunts of pain in the process. He stood up, sighing in relief as some of the pain died off. Brandon, however, continued to sit, placing the box of cake back into the bag.

"Brandon?" Greg questioned.

"Why aren't you up yet?" Ravu asked, eyeing him angrily.

"I'm not going to get firewood. I had to get it last time, by myself."

"And you're the only one complaining."

"I'll go with him." Tami volunteered, stopping the two before an all-out argument started. Brandon thought it weird that she wanted to go with Greg, instead of sit here with the others, but Ravu thought of it as normal.

"See? Tami wants to go, I don't have to." Brandon folded his arms and smiled with triumph.

"Fine," Ravu sighed, trying her best to not run over to the boy and whack him in the head. "Be careful out there, some of those Knights might still be lurking around."

"We'll be fine." Greg reassured her, as he headed off into the forest. Tami followed closely behind, while the others just sat there.

"Think they'll make a good couple?" Brandon asked, turning to the others.

Ravu shrugged. "Only time will tell."

* * *

Greg was having quite some trouble traveling around, in search of firewood. Almost each, and every, movement resulted in a sharp pain, originating from his bandaged mid-section. From what he had seen, he was in a much worse state than any of his friends. Though he was glad no one else was in his condition, he wished he had been more carefully. Ultimately, he would slow the group down if they were attacked again, and he did not want that.

Tami was worried. She watched, and listened, as Greg grunted in pain with almost each step. He wasn't in the best condition to be moving around yet, and this was only pushing his body to its limits, again. Though, every time he caught her staring at him in worry, he was throw a reassuring smile and continue picking up firewood.

"You okay?" She asked, as she picked up a piece of bark and placed it under her arm.

Greg nodded. "Yeah, just fine. Don't worry about me." He chuckled, trying to overcome the pain with a little laugh. He immediately went back to searching for firewood.

"You're lying."

Greg tensed up, before turning around slowly. "What makes you say that?"

"Because you're grunting in pain, you're struggling to stay standing, and we all know you have a broken rib." Tami frowned. "You don't have to pretend to be okay, you know."

Greg sighed. "I hate it when you're right." He leaned back on one of the trees and rested. "I just don't want to slow you guys down."

"We can't be slowed down anymore than we already are." Tami responded, picking up, yet, another piece of firewood. "Leah and Ravu are hurt too."

"I noticed." The raven-haired teen laughed. His thoughts went back to the battle that had taken place only hours ago. "You held yourself pretty good in that fight. You and Brandon really surprised me."

"Glad you think so." Tami murmured. "I didn't really do anything but cast spells, and Brandon thinks he did absolutely nothing. I know we aren't as skilled as you, but we didn't think you were levels above us."

"Eh," Greg scratched his head, trying to find the right arrangement of words. He didn't want them thinking he was clearly outclassing them in battle skills, that would make things worse. "You're a lot better at using spells than I am." He admitted. "And Brandon's earth techniques far surpass my own."

"That's because you like fighting in close-combat. But when you used that last technique, that clearly showed the gap between our strengths." Tami looked at him, almost saddened. "I mean, you were able to combine two elements into one, high-speed attack. Neither I, nor Brandon, can use a move like that."

"And you shouldn't want to." Greg replied, rather quickly and sternly. "You should want to create your own move, not imitate mine."

"I suppose you're right." Tami muttered, walking over next to him.

"But I did look pretty cool using it, right?" Greg chuckled softly.

"Whatever." Tami gave a soft laugh and elbowed him in the side. The teen's eyes expanded as she glanced over at Greg. The boy's eyes were widened, with pain, as he tried his best to stifle the yell that was daring to escape his lips. "I'm soooo sorry!!" She yelled, dropping the wood in the process.

"Its….fine…" Greg managed to say, as the pain began to mellow away. Tami knelt down, slightly, to get a better look at the bandages.

"Are you sure?! I completely forgot." She placed a hand on his side and rubbed it gently, trying to soothe the pain.

Of course, this would have felt nice if Greg's ribs weren't broken. The injured teen nearly let out a scream, but managed to hold it in again. He tightly closed his eyes, trying to hide back the tears of pain and held his breath.

"_Please…STOP!"_ He shouted in his mind.

"Does that feel better?" Tami asked, oblivious to his facial expressions.

"…Ye…Yeah…." He mumbled, exhaling deeply as he grabbed her hand and pulled it away, relieving himself of the agonizing pain. She looked up, straightening her form in the process and smiled at him.

"Sorry."

"It's….okay…" He panted, out of breath from holding in the screams. He couldn't help but gaze into her emerald green eyes, smiling gently in the process. Tami blushed, as a result, and looked away.

Behind them, Brandon was slowly making his way through the forest, complaining on how the three girls kicked him out and made him help in the search for firewood. He couldn't believe the new girl, Opalaisha, had agreed with Ravu and Leah. Who, in their right mind, would agree with the two of them?!

As he progressed, he began hearing some whispers and grunts, and that just didn't sound right to him. He quickened his pace and caught sight of Greg and Tami, holding hands. He hid behind a tree, just in case one of them had saw him.

From his point of view, the two were doing something they shouldn't be doing. For one, they were holding hands. Secondly, Greg was out of breath, which was kind of weird. And finally, he had heard some whispers and grunts, which didn't sound right in the first place.

One conclusion came to mind….

"Whoa! Did I come at a bad time?!" Brandon shouted, drawing their attention back towards him.

Tami sighed. "Brandon, what are you talking about?" She asked, turning to look at him.

"Shouldn't you be with the others?" Greg asked.

"Apparently you two would want that, wouldn't you?" He snickered, pointing a finger at the two. Greg and Tami looked down, seeing as they were holding hands. They slowly began to realize what Brandon was thinking.

Both Greg and Tami's eyes widened, as they dropped hands and looked away, picking up the firewood.

"Nothing happened, Brandon, we were just talking. And then I elbowed Greg in the ribs, on accident." Tami explained quickly.

"Suuuuure you did." Brandon laughed. "I'll just leave you two alone." He wandered off, still snickering to himself. Greg and Tami sighed, looked at each other, and just smiled, before continuing their mission for firewood.

* * *

"It's simple." Leah repeated. "We get in town, get our supplies, and leave. We can't stop and take rests."

"But we don't even know where to go from there." Ravu replied. "We don't even know what the closest town is, after that."

"That's why we purchase a map, Ravu." Sighed Leah, placing a hand on her forehead.

"The maps there aren't reliable." Opalaisha interrupted.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, since Zemblar is a mining town, the only available maps they have are of the mines. It's rare to find the map you want there. The only way to find a map is to either go back to Ragnias City, or pass through Zemblar and go to the next town." Opalaisha explained. "Going back to Ragnias City seems to be out of the picture for you five, so the only other option would be to go to Zemblar, get the supplies you need, and move on."

"But we can't move on without a sign of direction. We might as well just blindfold ourselves and hope to arrive in Rambosa in a couple of days." Ravu frowned and stared into the fire.

"I'm sure someone there can help us out." Leah muttered.

"It's possible. Some of the miners there have been all over this planet, someone is bound to know the way." Opalaisha added.

"Well, we'll just have to ask someone when we get there." The fire flickered a bit, dancing higher in the air for a moment. Ravu gazed at it, amazed by its untamed nature.

"Anyway," Leah broke her thoughts. "This is probably the safest place we're going to be, before heading out in the morning. Supposedly, once we near the edge of the forest, Heartless will start to attack." Her eyes met with the others. "That's why no one passes through here anymore."

"You mean those black, bug-looking things that eat hearts?" Ravu asked.

"That's one way of putting it." But there was more to them than just devouring hearts for their own enjoyment. They posed a serious threat, when in groups. Leah would know, she had been fighting against them for most of her life. Though they were nowhere as annoying as Nobodies, they still put up a fight.

"The Heartless here aren't as strong as you think. In fact," Opalaisha began. "Most of them are just the basic shadow type. They're almost completely harmless in battle."

"Where ever a Shadow dwells, Neos are right behind them. And they can get pretty nasty." Leah told them. "When the others return, we'll explain it to them and turn in for the night. We'll have to take turns keeping watch, so everyone gets to rest."

"I'll keep watch first, since you all seem to need more rest than I." Opalaisha volunteered.

"Hope we didn't keep you guys waiting." Greg chuckled, as he, as well as Brandon and Tami, returned with the firewood. "So, I take it you've been discussing something. Why not start explaining?"

**Disney Castle…**

All was quiet on the Royal grounds of Disney Castle, as the moon beamed down upon the area. The Royal Disney knights were doing their normal training exercises, lead by the Captain of the Knights, Sir Goofy. He worked the Knights moderately, never pushing them beyond, what he believed to be, their limit. Though, in order to get them skilled enough, he had to train them everyday, until nightfall.

Standing beside him was his second-in-command officer, a young boy around the age of fifteen. He stood at 5 feet and 5 inches, sporting a black, sleeve-less zipper vest with an upward collar that extended to just below his ears. On his lower half, his legs, he wore shining black armor. A brown strap covered his chest, leading to the sheath of a large sword. His hair was pitch black and spiky, somehow defying gravity and extending backwards and upwards, away from the top of his head and his neck. A few bangs lay in front of his dark brown, almost black, irises. Around his right wrist was a black wristband, and his left arm, up to his elbow, was wrapped in white bandages.

His name…

Jason…

Goofy looked over at the boy, after giving the Knights the command to take a break. Jason had his arms folding, watching as the Knights withdrew their weapons and began chatting amongst themselves.

"What's wrong, Jason?" Goofy asked, in his usual, questionable tone.

"Nothing, Captain, just thinking." Jason replied, frowning.

"Are you thinking about the what King said? About those new creatures?"

"Yeah." Jason glanced at him. "He called in the Keyblade Masters to inform them."

"You mean Sora, Riku and Kairi?" Goofy questioned.

"Yes, those three." He looked back at his fellow Knights. "Are they really that good?"

Goofy nodded. "Yeah, we managed to beat the Organization."

Jason was having trouble believing that the Keyblade Masters were as strong as the King, Goofy and Donald believed. Who knows, maybe they just managed to get in a few lucky blows and end the life of the Organization. If that was the case, he was probably a level, or two, above them.

"Jason!" A voice rang out. The voice sounded weird, and out of this world. In a way, it was the most annoying voice Jason had ever heard.

Jason sighed heavily. "What is it, Donald?" He turned to face the duck, who was approaching them.

"King Mickey wishes to see you." Donald told him, stopping before Goofy and Jason. The Second-In-Command officer sighed and walked past him, towards the Castle.

"I don't know what you, or the King, sees in that boy." Donald groaned.

"He's talented." Goofy replied, chuckling.

* * *

The King sat quietly in his office, flipping through one paper after another. With each sheet, he sighed and shook his head from side-to-side. Every document, report, or letter had something to do with the new, growing threat.

"The Nobodies were bad enough, now we have these…these things going around." Mickey murmured, more to himself than anyone else. He looked up at the girl, sitting across the room from him. "What do you think is going on?"

She was around the age of thirteen or fourteen, and was about 5'2 with long, raven-colored hair and light brown eyes. She was dressed in a light green, short-sleeved shirt and a pair of dark blue, jean capris, and a pair of black shoes; a very simple outfit.

"Why are you asking me, Mickey?" The girl asked, leaning forward and resting her head in her hands.

"Because, clearly, I don't know." Mickey closed the current document he was looking at and threw it on the desk, lying back in his chair. "These creatures…. Some say they're spirits, others say their creatures almost alike Heartless and Nobodies…. I don't know what to think, Rebecca."

"Well, you won't be able to think unless you see one for yourself. Obviously, there are different types of the creatures, like that of Heartless and Nobodies. No doubt they're related, somehow."

"Many species of creatures are different, none of them are alike." Mickey replied. "What could they possibly be? And why haven't we came in contact with them before?"

"Well, you did say one of those Ansem Reports had some clues relating to the Heartless, Nobodies and the Door to Darkness. Maybe you overlooked something." Rebecca shrugged.

Mickey nodded, looking back down at the documents. The girl was quite smart for her age, even smarter than most of the greatest minds in the Castle. Yet, she was still a pre-teen and full of energy, making her quite the annoyance around the castle. Still…

Jason walked into the door, his eyes looking at the King, and then at Rebecca.

"About time you got here, bro!" Rebecca grinned sheepishly. "We were just discussing the current issues."

"Yeah," Jason replied, closing the door behind him. "You wanted to see me, Your Majesty?"

"Ah, yes, Jason," The King smiled. "I'm glad you're here. Sora and the others should be arriving soon and I need you to welcome them."

"That's it?"

"Yep." Mickey nodded. "I've already been told about your curiosity concerning their skills. Maybe Riku will give you a sparring match."

"Fine." Jason bowed, respectfully, and left the room.

"He really needs to lighten up." Mickey murmured.

"I agree." Rebecca giggled.

**Onboard the Highwind…**

Sora was nearly about to burst out of his seat, having sat still for four hours. He had tried sleeping, playing a game by himself, and even tried to pop the question at Kairi, only to fail again.

"ARE WE THERE YET?" Sora yelled, shifting in his seat again. Riku turned around, glaring at his friend, causing the Keyblade Master to sink back into his seat. "I guess not…"

"Fortunately, we are. Now, will you shut up?" He frowned, as he brought the ship down out of space and landed in the Gummi Hanger.

"About time!" Sora exclaimed, jumping out of his seat.

Kairi couldn't help but shake her head. "Finally. Now he should be able to shut up for a while." She murmured.

"Hopefully." Riku added, as they followed Sora out of the door. Sora stopped short as he ran into two chipmunks; Chip and Dale of the former Rescue Rangers.

"Sora!" Chip shouted.

"You're back!" Dale jumped up into the air.

"Yeah, the King called for us." Sora smiled. He glanced back and pointed at Riku and Kairi. "These are my friends; the two I was searching for. Riku and Kairi."

Chip and Dale scurried over to the two and circled around them, before stopping at their feet.

"Hiya! I'm Chip!" Chip waved.

"And I'm Dale!" Dale added.

"They're so cute." Kairi giggled, as she knelt down and rubbed their heads.

"…Yeah." Riku placed his hands in his pockets and looked around.

"I'm Kairi! And this is Riku!" She told them.

"We've heard so much about you!" Chip replied. "Sora searched high and low for you two."

"Yeah, we've all heard the story." A voice behind them rang out, drawing their attention. Jason came into view, frowning. He folded his arms, looking at Sora and Riku. "So, you're the Keyblade Masters? You don't look like much."

Riku glared. "And you are?"

"This is Jason, Second-In-Command of the Disney Knights." Dale explained.

"Just Jason will be fine." Jason murmured, staring into Riku's eyes. "I take it that you're Riku, supposedly the strongest of the three."

Riku remained silent.

"Hey, who says he's the strongest?!" Sora exclaimed.

"And you're obviously Sora, the idiot who managed to save the universe two times." Jason almost laughed, causing Sora to growl in anger. "I'll be taking you three to your rooms. In the morning, you'll meet with the King and then will brush up on your fighting skills." He smirked. "This way." He turned and headed out, leaving the others to follow…

* * *

**That's the chapter, not really exciting. Next chapter should be up soon, but with school and work, I don't know. Anyway, I think I'll start giving previews to the next chapters. So...yeah, review please. And thanks to the reviewers who reviewed last time.**

**Preview: Greg and the gang travel to Zemblar and run into problems, Mickey spills the info on the new enemies, and Riku takes on Jason.**


	5. Chapter 5: Finally! Zemblar, at last!

**I've finally gotten the chapter up. Not much to say here. Just read and enjoy, and then review please.**

* * *

**Disney Castle...**

Clear, pure blue eyes gazed out the window at the kingdom that surrounded the castle. The morning sun beamed down through the clouds and into the room, causing the male to narrow his eyes in an effort to block out the extra light. Though he failed miserably, he continued to stare out the window.

His thoughts remained simple; not dwelling on past problems, or ones he would have to face in the future. He only thought about his essentials, like what he was going to eat in about ten minutes or so, or how Donald and Goofy would react once they saw him again.

But Sora also thought of the character he had met late yesterday, Jason. He seemed strong, in a way, but cocky all the same. And when one is cocky, they usually aren't the best at what they're being cocky about. Sora knew first hand how cocky villains were, and they weren't that skilled. Jason, however, was a good guy, or that's what Sora was thinking. But with an attitude like his, you could predict he would switch sides later.

While Sora was gazing out his bedroom window, his mind totally oblivious to the other things around him, the door slowly opened to the room and a girl squeezed her head through the space. She looked around for a moment, before spotting the Keyblade Master near the end of the room.

"Hey, um, Mr. Sora, right?" the girl, who was Rebecca, asked. Sora twitched, slightly frightened by her sudden voice. He turned around, opening his mouth to speak.

"Just call me Sora." He replied.

Rebecca nodded. "Well, Sora, you're expected downstairs, in the dining hall. The King and Queen are waiting. Your friends, Mr. Riku and Ms. Kairi, have already headed down there, I'd advise you not to keep the Royals waiting." She smiled innocently and closed the door.

Sora sighed, heavily, having forgotten what he had actually traveled here for. He had woken up, thinking he was still on one of his past adventures, only to find out that he was for a different reason; to begin a new one.

He placed on the garments that were lying on the bed, his jacket and shoes since he was wearing his shorts, and headed to the door, racing downstairs to meet the others.

- - -

Kairi stared, questionably, at the breakfast food lying on her plate. It was one thing to eat something you have never eaten before, but to have it look like plastic and smell like nothing ever before was different. It smelled so weird that Kairi could not decipher whether it smelled good or bad. And it looked like a blob of food on a plate, a fake blob of food on a plate.

That's what she got for ordering Donald's special breakfast dessert…

Everyone seemed to be enjoying his or her dish, except for her. And no one happened to order Donald's "special" dessert, but her. The King and Queen were eating their royal breakfast; cereal, two pieces of toast, a sliced grapefruit, a pancake or two, and a glass of orange juice. Daisy and Goofy had a few pieces of toast, a bowl of cereal, and Goofy had several pieces of sausage. The young, black-haired girl, Rebecca, was eating a pile of waffles with extra syrup, with a second dish waiting for her. And two plates of pancakes, for Sora, waited beside Kairi. If Sora didn't get there soon, she was going to swap plates with him.

She looked over at Riku, who had ordered a plain plate of blueberry pancakes. He seemed to really be enjoying them, seeing as how he had finished his first plate of five and had moved on to his second. Kairi could have sworn that he looked like Sora when he ate, but she realized that Sora would have finished at least three plates by now.

"Kairi," Riku chewed, as he looked over at her. "Why aren't you eating?"

The Princess nearly fell over due to Riku's oblivious mind. She knew he didn't function in the morning, but that was just plain ridiculous.

"Riku, have you seen what's on my plate? I don't even think it's eatable." Kairi replied, her eyes staring down at the blob as she poked it with a fork. Luckily, for her, Donald was still in the back Kitchen.

"I'm sure it's not that bad, Kairi." Goofy chuckled, as he brought a piece of toast to his mouth.

"Let Sora try it. Then we'll know if it's eatable or not." Riku laughed between bites.

"Speaking of which," King Mickey spoke up. "Where is he? Shouldn't he be down here already?"

"He likes to sleep in." Kairi responded.

"But he was already up when I went up there, he should be down any second." Rebecca added, chewing all the while. And as luck would have it, the said person came rushing through the dining room doors, panting slightly.

Sora grinned, sheepishly, and took his seat between Kairi and Riku. "Sorry I'm late, guys, I got kinda lost." He rubbed the back of his head and laughed softly. Before anyone could reply, his eyes widened as he stared down at the plate of pancakes. "This all for me?!"

"Yes, Sora." Queen Minnie replied with a giggle. "You were taking so long, we had Riku order for you."

"Thanks!" He smiled and dug his fork into one pancake, pulling it up to bite into it.

While the Keyblade Master stuffed his face, Mickey stood up and cleared his throat, grabbing everyone's attention, excluding Sora.

"Now that everyone is here, we can discuss why you're here." Mickey announced. All eyes were on him as he looked around. "First off-"

"Hey," Sora interrupted, as his head went turned from side-to-side several times. "Where's that guy from yesterday? I think his name was Jason."

"Well, around this time," Goofy scratched the side of his head, trying to think. "He should be doing his morning routines."

"Morning routines?"

"You can discuss that later." Rebecca stopped Goofy from replying. "The King is about to tell you what's going on."

"Oh, right!" Sora glanced at Mickey. "Sorry, Your Majesty. Please, carry on."

"Thank you." Mickey nodded his head. "I'll get right to the point: A new enemy has surfaced. We have no idea of what they are, or where they have come from."

"A new enemy?" Riku questioned. "And there's no info on them?"

"That's correct, Riku." Mickey continued. "A report I received from the Land of Dragons says that they might be a new type of Heartless, or Nobody. Our most recent report, from Radiant Garden, says that they present themselves as dark spirits."

"Spirits?" Sora questioned, between a chew. "Are you sure they're the same type of enemy? Maybe one group is a new type of Heartless, while the other is a new type of Nobody."

"We assumed that." Rebecca began, drawing the Keybearers' attentions towards her. "But the reports go on to say that they are nothing like the Heartless or Nobodies, yet they are alike, in a way."

"We don't really have any evidence to fall back on, because none of us have seen them before." Kairi spoke up this time.

"But we do have evidence, if it can be called that."

"And that is?" Riku arched his eyebrow.

"The Ansem Reports." Rebecca answered. Before any of the Keybearers could reply, Rebecca continued. "That's why the King called you in; you have seen the Ansem Reports first hand."

"What does the Ansem Reports have to do with this?" Sora asked.

"If I recall correctly, the Ansem Reports spoke of three elements to life," Mickey stated. "The Heart, the Soul and the Body."

"I remember that one."

Mickey nodded again. "When you lose your body and soul, you become a heartless. When you lose your heart and soul, you become a Nobody…" His words drifted into the air, just lingering. Silence fell over the room, as everyone exchanged glances.

"What happens when you lose your heart and body?" Kairi asked, breaking the silence.

"We don't know." Rebecca murmured. "But our hypothesis is that these new creatures, who've just recently been appearing, are the result."

"In a way, it would make since." Riku muttered, finishing his pancakes. "The Nobodies took a while to show up out of the shadows. Maybe these new creatures are finally showing themselves."

"We can't be sure until we see them." Mickey assured them.

"So we just have to go to the Land of Dragons and Radiant Garden, right?" Sora asked, biting into another pancake. "That shouldn't be too hard."

"Actually, they've been spotted all around the galaxy." Rebecca corrected him, causing all three of them to gasp, and Sora to nearly choke.

"The whole galaxy?!"

"Yep." Rebecca giggled. "And with the gateways between worlds locked, you'll have to travel through normal space, and that could take a while, unless you have a G.W.E."

"A what?" Sora tilted his head.

"Never mind." Rebecca shook her head. "I'll explain it later."

"Your Majesty?" Riku questioned, figuring the King knew what he was about to ask. Having fought alongside Mickey for such a long time, it seemed the two had a special bond between them, just as Sora had one with Donald and Goofy.

"We'll get you a ship ready, equipped with a G.W.E. Meanwhile, you three should be heading over to the training grounds, Jason wants to make sure you three are still in shape." Mickey chuckled, as he finished his breakfast.

"We'll head over there as soon as we're finished here." Sora laughed as well, as he began stuffing his face again. Kairi shook her head, while Riku just joined him.

"Very well." Mickey stood up, as did Queen Minnie, Goofy and Daisy. "We'll be heading upstairs, there is much to be discussed." He waved them off and the four of them left, leaving the Keybearers, and Rebecca, alone…

**Mining Town of Zemblar…**

There was a lot of commotion in the town of Zemblar. Two large trucks had arrived in the night, escorting beaten and battered Knights. Some of the townsfolk were worried that someone, out there, was actually crazy enough to go against them. And, to their surprise, it seemed whoever had took them on had won.

The people all seemed to be in one part of the town; the far end, where a large building had been built a few months prior, and it later became one of the many R.A. Bases around the planet of Farplex. But that was not what attracted the people.

What attracted them were the patrol units stationed around it, as well as near the entrances and exits to the town, and the patrol units that were guarding the entrances to the mines. Though, the miners did not complain, since the soldiers let them through without any hassle. The other townspeople were kept from leaving the town, whether it was for a hike or an emergency to go to the next town and get medicine.

Within the Rambosan base, Lieutenant Colonel Ganboia was going over orders with the soldiers under his command. Agent Engel was busy trying to get her body back in order. After such a fight, and powerful blow to the chest, she wasn't feeling up to the task of bossing anyone around, or vise versa. But those two weren't the only superior officers in the building.

Major Johnston, the commander of the base, also walked the halls. But she was totally different from the other two, and, to a degree, she hated fighting. She could be aggressive when she wanted to, but she disliked being that way towards anyone, unless they posed a threat to the army, which no one did.

Her hazel eyes scanned the room, as she walked into one of the large, meeting rooms where Ganboia was barking orders. She wore a long, black skirt with a long-sleeved, navy shirt, which was covered in a black trench coat covered in merits, signifying her status. She had long, brown hair, which extending to her mid-back. A couple of daggers were strapped to her sides, under her coat, and served as her primary weapon in battle. Though they gave the opponent the thought of that she wasn't as skilled as they thought, she always proved them wrong before they died at her daggers' tip.

"Lieutenant Colonel Ganboia!" Major Johnston yelled, grabbing his attention from the front of the room. "The patrol units have been set up, sir."

Ganboia grinned. "Good work, Johnston." He turned to the soldiers. "That will be all, soldiers. Head out!"

"**Sir!"** they all shouted, marching out of the room.

Ganboia kept his grin as he approached the, ever so beautiful, Major. He was quite fond of her and her beauty. He wanted nothing more than to take her by the waist and ravish her in bed. But Major Johnston did not have the same feelings for the large, bald-headed man.

"What should I do now, sir?" Major Johnston asked her superior officer.

"I would like to speak with you in your quarters, alone." Ganboia instructed.

"What for, sir?" She tilted her head, slightly.

"About the enemy." He lied.

"She wants nothing to do with you, baldy." Engel muttered, drawing their attention back towards the doorway. She was dressed in her normal garments now; a white shirt covered by a white and ice blue sleeve-less, hooded jacket, with fur around the edges of the hood. A pair of ice blue capris covered her legs, and she sported white shoes on her feet. Her long, silver hair extended down her back, while some dangled over her face.

Her emotionless, silver eyes looked towards the Major. "Semaria, pay no attention to Ganboia's priceless antics. Discussing business with you is the last thing on his mind."

The Major, or Semaria, made a face and looked at Ganboia, who was glaring at Engel as she approached. "Lieutenant Colonel, I advise you not to use such persuasive actions. It may result in the loss of your rank."

"No need to try and give him advice, Semaria, he never listens." Engel took a seat in one of the empty seats. "Now, let's get this discussion on the road."

"I agree." Semaria sat down as well.

"Very well." Ganboia took a seat and rested his arm on the table. "First off, we're dealing with two Keyblade Wielders here."

"Wait! Keyblade Wielders?" Semaria exclaimed rather loudly, before turning to Engel. "I thought they were all extinct, except for you and _him_?"

"Apparently not." Engel glanced at her. "You haven't heard of the kid that took down the Organization, Maleficent, and that Ansem guy?"

Semaria nodded. "I have, but I thought they were just rumors. I mean, how could a kid defeat them all?"

"He was a wielder of the Keyblade. He's the Keyblade Master of this generation." Engel replied.

"I see. Then that's how he managed to defeat them all."

"That's right." Ganboia spoke up. "And the two Keyblade Wielders we ran into yesterday are no exception. They are skilled."

"But it's three of us, we should be able to capture them easily." The Major looked between the Lieutenant Colonel and Agent Engel. "Right?"

"Not exactly. There are three others traveling with them. None of them can wield of Keyblade, but they do pose a threat." Engel muttered.

"What makes them a threat?" Semaria questioned.

"Well, all of them have spells that provide protection for each of them, and they have most of the elemental spells under their belt. One, however, was able to combine two elements into one attack."

Semaria gasped, and even Ganboia gave a look of utter surprise. Being able to use one element, and form an attack out of it, was hard enough. And that, alone, was already a high-level skill that only Brigadier Generals and Generals were able to use. But combining two elements and creating an attack was a General-level skill, and those who knew it barely kept it under control.

"But," Semaria let her thoughts run for a moment. "Isn't that a General-level technique?"

Engel nodded her head. "Yeah, and he used it like it was nothing. The only person that can use it and withstand the strain to the body is General Ching. Even General Blazer has a rough time using a two-element attack three times."

"Then they do pose a threat." Semaria muttered.

"It must have been a fluke, no kid can use such a technique." Ganboia said in protest.

"Well, this one did, and I doubt it was a fluke." Engel lifted her shirt up, slightly, revealing the bandages wrapped around her chest. The blood was daring to seep through, but somehow did not. Semaria winced slightly, while Ganboia just shook his head.

As the Lieutenant Colonel opened his mouth to say something, the door to the meeting room opened up and two Knights made their way inside. They saluted, before the one of the left stepped forward.

"Agent Engel, we've just received a message from General Blazer. You are to head to the next town, immediately."

"What?" Engel questioned. "What for?"

"She did not say, ma'am."

"Fine." Engel sighed, her mind trying to figure out why they were ordering her to the next town. Had the Keyblade Wielders reached that location already? It would have been impossible over night.

Before Engel made it out the door, she turned around to look at Semaria and Ganboia. "I survived the blow because I managed to injure him." She narrowed her eyes in seriousness. "If you slip up just one time, it _will_ cost you."

With that said, the agent left the room, followed by the two soldiers, leaving the Lieutenant Colonel and Major to discuss matters further.

**Ragnias Forest…**

A strange and familiar sound echoed through the forest, causing the young teens to squirm a bit in their sleep. They paid no attention to it, and turned over, ignoring it. Again, it echoed through, and then echoed several more times, causing them to awaken.

"What the hell is that sound?!" Ravu snapped angrily, pushing herself up off of the pallet of leaves.

Greg groaned loudly, turning onto his side and waving her off. "Shut up…some of us are still trying to sleep."

Leah, Opalaisha and Tami were already awake and completely ignoring the sound, as they were stationed in the distance, going over the plans so that everything would work out perfectly. They knew the sound was nothing threatening them, so they didn't worry.

"Well, tell that to whatever is making that sound!" Ravu shouted.

"You tell him." Greg, not even turning to look at her, pointed to the kid sleeping a few meters away.

Brandon…

The teen was snoring…loudly, and it sounded almost inhuman. Ravu let out a heavy and annoyed sigh, before pushing herself to her feet. She made her way over to Brandon and leaned over him.

"Hey! Wake up!" She yelled into his ear, causing him to jerk up in fright.

"What?! Huh!? Who?!" He looked around frantically, before focusing on Ravu. "Hi Ravu!" He smiled.

"You were supposed to be keeping watch…" Ravu frowned.

"Well, you see…" Brandon scratched the back of his head, trying to think of something. "I was, but then a gang of those Knights came and I had to fend them off all on my own. And I didn't want to wake you. But I was so-"

"Hold it!" Ravu placed a hand over his mouth, causing him to stop and stare at her, blankly. "I've heard enough, just forget it." She removed her hand and Brandon nodded.

Greg stood up, stretching his arms and yawning loudly. "Man, you two just cannot let a guy sleep!"

"Oh, shut up." Ravu pushed Greg back down and headed over to where the other girls were.

"I take it she's not a morning person?" Brandon asked.

"Never was." Greg replied, rubbing his head, as he got back to his feet and headed over to the others with Brandon.

"So, we get in, get a map, and get into the mines before anyone notices. That's the plan, right?" Tami questioned, making sure she had gotten everything through the discussion.

"Yeah, that about sums it up." Leah folded her arms and glanced over at Ravu, Brandon and Greg, who were making their way over.

"Geeh guys, thanks for waking us." Brandon murmured, making a face.

"It was you who woke us up." Tami stated sternly.

"Okay, we're all awake now, so let's just go over what you girls discussed." Greg rested himself against a tree and yawned again. "We're still heading to Zemblar, right?"

"Yeah," Opalaisha replied. "I'll explain. Once we get out of this forest, it should take us about half an hour to get to Zemblar. When we get there, we'll have to stay out of sight. Those Rambosan Knights you dealt with in Ragnias are bound to be in Zemblar, resting up."

"Opalaisha also told us that there is a Rambosan Base at the far end of the base. That's where they'll be." Tami added.

"That's right." Opalaisha began again. "Now, we won't be able to stay in Zemblar for long. We need to get the map, as soon as possible, and get inside the mines before anyone figures us out. I'm sure they know that we won't travel in daylight, so they'll be guarding the mine entrances."

"Let's get going then. I have a feeling that the security will only get worse as the day goes on." Ravu stated.

"Don't get too comfortable, those Heartless are still lurking near the edge of the forest. We'll have our hands full just making it out alive." Leah reminded them.

"That's right. And Ravu, Leah and Greg don't seem to be in the best condition to be fighting." Tami added.

"Well, we've got Opalaisha with us too. And her cure spell was enough to convince me that she has some abilities." Brandon reached down and placed his bag on his back, as did the others, while Opalaisha retrieved the staff she had placed against a tree. "I haven't really been against Heartless before, but I don't think they'll pose a problem for us."

"That's where you're wrong, Brandon…" Leah murmured, as visions of her past came rushing back to her. She shook the thoughts from her mind before anyone could question her. "Let's get going." She began walking off.

"Right behind ya!" Greg chuckled, as he followed behind her, along with everyone else.

"Hey…you guys sure we're going the right way?" Brandon asked, from the back.

"Shut up, Brandon…" Everyone seemed to murmur.

Minutes passed by, seemingly like hours. Those minutes were filled with singing, from Greg and Brandon, a bunch of complaining from Ravu and Leah, a few laughs from Tami and Opalaisha, and the utter beating of the two whom started it all. But that was just to pass the time. The walk was a lot more boring than they had expected it to be…

Brandon frowned as he looked around, sniffing the air. It smelled strange. And, this time, it was not food he smelled. He had smelled it for quite some time, probably ten minutes. He stopped, suddenly, and sniffed the air a bit more. The others stopped as well, trying to figure out just what he was doing.

"Uh…" Greg raised an eyebrow. "You okay, Brandon?"

Brandon sniffed a few more times. "You guys smell that?" He looked around. "It….it really stinks…."

Greg sniffed the air, but failed to smell anything more than the trees surrounding him. "I don't smell anything." The others sniffed as well, but couldn't find anything about the smell of the area.

"Brandon, you're just hungry. I bet you just wanna eat the rest of that cake." Tami giggled.

"No," Opalaisha narrowed her eyes as she looked around. "He's right. Something does stink." She placed a hand on her battle staff, which was strapped to her back at the moment. "Smells like…"

"Heartless." Leah finished, quickly turning her head to find any sign of movement in the bushes or treetops.

"What?! You mean that's what I've been smelling!?" Brandon exclaimed.

"Seems that way." Opalaisha turned around, towards the direction they had just come from. "There." She pointed up, in the direction of a tree. There, in the thicket of the leaves, several pairs of yellow eyes pierced through the shadows of the leaves. The eyes seemed to be glaring at them, while the leaves began to shake.

"Oh…crap…" Brandon took a few steps back.

"There are more over there!" Greg grabbed the group's attention and pointed in the opposite direction, where more of the eyes began to appear. One pair of eyes came forward, into the shady area of the tree. Its body was almost pitch black, with wild-looking antennas atop its head. It's yellow eyes widened and narrowed, as it began to fidget.

"That's a Heartless?" Tami asked.

"Yeah, they don't look so bad." Brandon gave a small laugh. "Kinda cute, actually."

"Don't be fooled by their appearance. I've heard they have the ability to rip your heart right out of your chest." Ravu implied, her hand twitching in a daring effort not to summon her Keyblade. She watched, as did the others, as more and more Shadow Heartless began to appear out of the shadows, surrounding the group.

"This could get ugly." Opalaisha murmured. "These creatures are mostly immune to normal weapons. It's best to use spells against them. Or, a Keyblade."

"We've got two of them in our arsenal." Brandon glanced back at Ravu and Leah. "This might be a good time to use those."

"No. Using a Keyblade only attracts more of them." Leah informed him, the small creatures slowly approaching.

"Spells it is then!" Ravu held her hands forward. "Firaga!" A fireball was brought forth from her palms and soared through the air, before crashing and causing a small explosion among several of the little creatures.

Greg and Tami joined in as well. "Blizzara!" The two yelled, unleashing a combined Blizzard spell, which froze another group of Heartless.

"Watera!" Opalaisha added, unleashing several small spheres of water, which zipped through the air and collided with the Heartless and added extra damage.

"Thundaga!" Leah tossed in her lightning spell to crush the Heartless doused in water.

"Let's book it, guys!" Brandon yelled, sprinting off; leaping over fallen logs and bushes.

"No need to tell us!" Ravu wasted no time in following the boy, and neither did the others…

**Disney Castle…**

After devouring, what seemed like, all of the castle's pancake supply, Sora was the first to make his way to the training grounds. It took a lot longer than expected though, since Riku insisted that Kairi at least eat her share of pancakes, which she did before Sora could get to them. It took them even longer to get out of the dining hall, as Sora, Donald and Goofy had their little reunion hug and chatter.

All in all, it took maybe an hour or two to get where they were going. Upon arriving, they could see a crowd of Disney Knights standing on the sparring grounds. Dressed in their bright, silver armor with the mouse emblem printed on the back, it was obvious that they were watching something, as gasps and metallic clashes came from their direction. So, the three teens, and the little pre-teen, decided to check it out.

One of the Knights, whom the others were watching, flew to the ground and slid a fair distance before stopping. Jason, sporting his all black garments, sheathed his sword with an annoyed look on his face. He approached the fallen Knight, whom was pushing himself up.

"Again, sir!" The Knight yelled, as he got to his feet. His armor was cracking, probably from a previous hit, and some pieces had fallen to the ground. His breathing could be heard from the crowd, as he struggled to stay standing.

"That's enough, for now." Jason smiled, oblivious to the four newcomers watching. He placed a hand on the Knight's shoulder. "Go and rest up." The Knight nodded and made his way, slowly, over to the crowd of Knights that were watching. Jason turned to them, folding his arms.

"If that would have been a real battle, he would have surely died. Yet, he still wanted to fight. That is the spirit Captain Goofy wants to see!" Jason shouted, causing the crowd to quiet down. "You may not be talented. You may not wield a sword as good as others. You may even be weakest one among your allies. But that spirit, the spirit that lives in all of us within the Disney Kingdom, will be what makes you strong!"

Sora and the others felt the moral of the Knights grow. They nodded their heads and some even chanted a few words about the Kingdom. Riku was quite impressed at how Jason treated the Knights. Even Sora was surprised. He would have thought Jason would be beating them senseless if they were weak. Maybe he wasn't so bad after all…

Jason looked around, a proud smile on his face, before the Keyblade Wielders came into view. That smile quickly turned to a smirk.

"My friends, comrades, we will be having the infamous Keyblade Masters joining our training session this morning." Jason raised a hand towards Sora and the gang. The Knights, every single one of them, turned to three Keyblade Wielders. They began to clap their hands, the metallic noise ringing in the Keybearer's ears.

"No need for that." Sora blushed, waving his hand. "Please, stop it." Riku shook his head in disbelief and frowned, while Kairi covered her ears.

"Now, now, calm down." Jason murmured, commanding the crowd to stop clapping. "We haven't even seen what they can do, first hand." He grinned. "So, who's first?"

Sora narrowed his eyes and took a step forward. "I'll go first."

"No," Riku placed a hand on Sora's shoulder, pulling him back. "Let me fight him."

"Well, if you fight him, who we'll I fight?" Sora asked.

"I'll fight you, Sora." All eyes went to little Rebecca, whom was already holding a shield and sword.

Sora tried his best to stifle a laugh. "Are…you serious?!"

"Sora!" Kairi shouted. "Don't be mean." She looked over at Rebecca's pouting face.

"Sora." Sora turned to the person who called his name; Jason. The Second-In-Commander's grin had faded away, as he locked eyes with the Keyblade Master. "Don't underestimate my little sister."

"Sister?" Kairi questioned. Sora's smile faded away, quickly, as he looked between the two.

"They do share a resemblance….sort of." Riku murmured.

"Sora, I'm not suggesting you fight me," Rebecca began, clinching her weapons tightly. She closed her eyes, tightly, trying to hold in her anger. She knew she wasn't strong, but she didn't like for others to make fun of her because of it. She had her own unique skills, just as everyone else. "I challenge you to a fight!"

Riku and Kairi gasped, while the Knights didn't even seen surprised. They expected the little girl to challenge one of the Keyblade Wielders. They were betting that she challenged Kairi, but guess some were proved wrong.

Sora blinked in confusion. "Jason," He turned to the said person. "You're not going to allow this, are you? I mean,"

"I can't do anything about it, now. She challenged you, you can either accept or deny it." Jason folded his arms. "Your move, Keyblade Master."

Sora frowned. He did not want to deny her challenge, the Knights would think of him as a wimp or something. Though, she was too small to fight, and it would not be fair if he accepted. He knew he'd win. That was a fact that he knew.

Maybe he'd just play with her for a bit, just to warm up in order to fight her older brother.

"Fine, I accept."

"Good," Rebecca walked out to the sparring grounds, a safe distance from the crowd.

Sora, feeling a big regretful that he accepted, wandered lazily out to the other side. He raised his hand, bringing forth the Kingdom Key in a dazzling display of light.

Riku, Kairi and Jason, as well as all the Knights, watched in silence for the match to begin.

"Here I come!" Rebecca ran forward, her sword held tightly in her left hand and her shield in her right. She lunged at him, once in range, and swung her sword. Sora brought up his Keyblade, lazily, and blocked the attack with no effort whatsoever. Rebecca withdrew, and then charged again, while Sora brought up his Keyblade in a defense position.

The young girl sidestepped, a lot faster than Sora thought she could, and rammed her shield into his side, sending him staggering to his right. Surprised, he turned to face the girl, only to have to lean back as the sword passed just above his nose. He flipped back a few yards, now shocked. But as soon as he landed on his feet, Rebecca was already in arm's length of hitting him. She spun around, bringing her small leg into the air for a kick. Sora brought his Keyblade up, blocking the kick and pushing it away. The girl used the momentum to spin again, bringing the very bottom tip of her shield around. Wide-eyed, Sora fell back, dodging the sharp edge of the shield that could have sliced right into his throat.

The Keyblade Master rolled back, just as Rebecca stabbed the earth, where he once laid, with her sword. "Stop moving!"

Sora was in total shock, gazing at the little girl. She was a lot more gifted than he anticipated. She was fast and small, and her attacks were deadly. If he had hesitated at any time, he would have been dead.

Riku and Kairi were just as shocked at their friend. They did not think Rebecca was able to move so quickly and gracefully. Though, Riku figured she would have some type of skill, having been the little sister of the Second-In-Command of the Disney Knights. And the chatter amongst the Knights only strengthened his thoughts. They were discussing how well Rebecca had improved, and how precise and focused her attacks had become.

Jason didn't show any sign of being surprised. He knew his sister, and knew her well. She was good, and she had the potential to be a lot better than she was now. She would train every night, an hour longer than he would, just to be sure she was closing the gap between herself and Jason.

"Where'd you learn to move so fast?" Sora questioned, bending his knees and dropping into a neutral position.

"Just because I look weak, doesn't mean I am." Rebecca was almost pouting now, as she raised both her sword and shield. "I train with my brother, every chance I get."

Sora quickly glanced at Jason, and then back at Rebecca. He wouldn't be able to hold back like he wanted to. It was obvious, now, that the girl knew the arts of fighting and wasn't going to take him lightly. Taking her lightly would be a mistake, on his half. Besides, he had a reputation to live up to.

Rebecca exhaled slowly, and then broke into a sprint. It was a normal sprint, not as fast as it was before. She clearly wasn't trying to waste any energy on attacks that probably wouldn't make the hit. And Sora wouldn't allow it to; he brought up his Keyblade and blocked her sword. Pushing off of his legs, he was able to shove her back a few feet and disable her guard. He used that moment to throw himself towards her.

"_No_." Rebecca planted her feet as quickly as she could, and used her shield to defend herself from Sora's slash. She pushed his Keyblade aside and began to attack him with a dance of wild and deadly swings, with both sword and shield. Sora found himself blocking, ducking, sidestepping, and using any other tactic to stay clear of her flying barrage.

"Seems like Sora is having a hard time." Riku spoke up, breaking the silence between himself, Kairi and Jason. Rebecca was actually surprising Riku, as he was studying her every movement and every attack. If Jason had taught her, then their movements were probably closely related.

"She's a lot better than I thought." Kairi murmured, to herself more than anyone. The little girl was clearly better than she was, and that bothered Kairi. Was she so weak that even a little girl, like Rebecca, was able to far surpass her? She practically knew nothing of wielding any type of sword, and her spells only varied from cure spell to cure spell. Nothing more. She needed to get stronger.

"She still has a lot to learn…" Jason narrowed his eyes, as the fight continued. Unlike Riku and Kairi, Jason was more focused on Sora's movements. He was good, but sloppy. The Keyblade Master's attacks looked more like lucky shots, than actually planned movements.

The sound of metal rung out within the training area, as Sora and Rebecca's swords clashed. Sora had grown tired of dodging, and decided to act. He was lucky he placed his Keyblade up at the right time. Any sooner, or any later, he would have been disarmed.

But Sora had also grown frustrated. Rebecca was good, and holding her own against him. If he knew she was this good, he would have brought her along with him to The World That Never Was six months ago. He ran thoughts through his head, and it only took a second to realize he was in a position to act.

Sora gave a quick and strong shove to Rebecca's sword, causing her arm to move back a few inches. That was all the time Sora needed. His mood had grown serious, and so had his tactics. He spun on the heel of his foot, gaining momentum as he spun clockwise. In the mist of his spin, he flicked his left hand and summoned a second Keyblade. The _Oathkeeper_. With two Keyblades in his grasp, and the momentum powering his oncoming double swing, he slammed both of the Keyblades into Rebecca's shield. The girl was tossed into the air and landed on her back, almost twelve meters away. And, before she could get up and back into the fight, Sora placed his Kingdom Key at her neck. Thus, declaring him the winner.

Rebecca grunted as Sora dismissed his Keyblades. "…Another loss…" She murmured, pushing herself to her feet, with the help of Sora.

"You're good. Really good. I was worried for a moment." Sora smiled at her. "Don't let losing drag you down. I lose to him all the time." He pointed at Riku, whom was discussing the fight with Kairi.

"The King told me." Rebecca giggled, her attitude returning to its original nature. The loss wasn't something she was going to dwell on; she would beat Sora one day.

"The King…? What?!" Sora declared, as Rebecca burst into laughter.

"Good job, you two!" Kairi congratulated the two of them, as she and Riku came over. "I can't believe how good you are, Rebecca. I never would have thought you were so good."

"I try." Rebecca giggled again. "I'm usually the one to think of plans and stuff, that sort of thing."

"So you're the brains around here?" Riku questioned. She nodded. "No wonder you're able to execute maneuvers so precisely. Anyway, Kairi's up next."

"That's right!" Kairi seemed excited.

"Who're you going up against?" Sora asked, curious.

"One of the Knights said he'd spar with me. I think it'll be good training for me, I could really use it."

Riku nodded in agreement, which earned him a glare from Kairi. "Anyway, we'll be watching from the sidelines.

"Yeah, so you better kick some butt." Sora waved Kairi off as he, Riku and Rebecca headed to the sidelines. Once there, Jason congratulated his younger sister. Not long after, the Knight stepped into the sparring area, and the next match was underway….

**Mining Town of Zemblar…**

By now, Ganboia had gathered a handful of the leading soldiers inside the room, where he and Semaria were going over possible scenarios. They had told the soldiers about the Keyblade Wielders, and how strong they were. They explained that there were only two, but their allies were able to use General-level techniques. That meant that, under any circumstances, were they to be taken lightly.

The plan for the soldiers were simple; the squadron deployed at the Zemblar Rambosan Base, led by Major Johnston, was to watch over the mines until it was clear that the Keyblade Wielders and the friends had passed, or until they had been captured. Ganboia's squadron, the soldiers who were under his command from the capital, were to guard the outer perimeter of the town, to make sure that the Keyblade Wielders would not pass. But, if everything played out like Ganboia thought, the Keyblade Wielders would try and take the mining tunnels.

Ganboia pressed his hand against his forehead, trying to make sure all scenarios could be countered by their plans. So far, they could.

He slammed his fist on to the table. "Okay, listen up, we _need_ to get these Keyblade Wielders, no matter what! Do what ever you think is necessary to do so! Break their arms, their legs, or even bring them to the brink of death! It doesn't matter! Get me those Keybladers!"

Ganboia's orders sent a surge of excitement through the crowd of soldiers in the room, causing them to cheer. There was no need for them to hold back now; they could go all out to capture the Keyblade Wielders. Of course, they knew better than to actually do so.

With the final order from Ganboia, the soldiers saluted and rushed out of the room. Semaria was the only one who didn't leave. She hadn't been given specific orders, and she knew he had some for her.

"What should I do?"

"I want you to guard the very entrance to the mines. I don't want any of them getting through, got it?"

"Yes sir." Semaria saluted, and headed off…

Ragnias Forest…

"Come on, come on!" Ravu yelled from the front of the group. She looked back and could see the others close behind. All around them, however, she could see the eyes of the heartless watching them.

"Oh…Oh my….God…I…I can't…." Brandon muttered loudly, while panting. "I just….can't…do it…."

"See?! This is why you have to stop eating so much!" Greg shouted, as he slowed down and grabbed his friend's arm, pulling him along. "How you manage to remain thin is beyond me, but you have to stop eating so much!"

"I can't!" Brandon whined. "It's like an addiction!"

"Just shut up and come on!" Ravu snapped from the front.

The six of them had been running for quite some time, about ten minutes or so. About a minute into running, Brandon was whining about being tired. Still, they kept running and the heartless kept chasing. And there seemed to be no end to the deep forest.

The situation got much worse when the Heartless began appearing in the direction they were traveling. It caused the group to stop dead in their tracks. All sides surrounded them, and there was no way to run without running into a Shadow. Their bright yellow eyes and fidgeting bodies grew closer and closer, causing the teens to back into one another.

"This is not good." Ravu felt two of the others behind her. "Anyone got a plan?"

"Nope."

"Unfortunately, no."

"Running doesn't look like an option, so no."

"We could fight." Opalaisha un-strapped her battle staff and brought it into an offensive position. "That seems like our only option."

"I think Opalaisha is right." Greg reached back and grabbed the handle of the Claymore. "Our best bet is to fight our way towards the exit."

"But you, Ravu and Leah aren't in a condition to be fighting. We should think of something else." Tami suggested, her hands resting on her sword.

"Tami, we tried that. It didn't work." Brandon had already drawn his sword and was steadily watching the Heartless approach. "This is our only choice."

"Brandon, Greg, Tami, and Opalaisha, you guys lead the way. Though your weapons may not cause harm to them, it will distract them enough for us to make it through." Leah informed them.

"Alright." Greg and Brandon nodded.

"Follow up behind me, I'll lead the way." Opalaisha told them. She took a few steps to a running start, and lunged at the Heartless. A clean swipe sent several of them hurling out of the way. The others didn't hesitate to follow, with Leah and Ravu taking up the rear. They slowly advanced through the forest; Opalaisha and the others distracting the Heartless with a few blows that barely did any damage, and Ravu and Leah fighting off the rear Heartless with spells and such.

"This blows, man. Just how many of these things are there?!" Brandon asked the rest of the group.

"Too many to count." Leah responded, from the rear. She fired off a mixed fire and blizzard spell, which doubled its impact on the Heartless.

"We're coming to the end of the forest. Just a little further." Opalaisha told them. But that short time seemed like forever, as they rushed through and over bushes in their attempt to exit the Heartless-filled forest.

Finally, they reached their destination; bursting out of the thicket of trees in relief. Though, they didn't stop running until they were sure they were at a safe distance. The forest had exited them in a grassy field with a few trees here and there. There was a trail leading into the distance, out of the forest, and probably towards the next town, Zemblar. The midday sun beat down on their bodies and a few birds flew overhead. It felt just like any other day to the teens, excluding the Heartless chasing.

Brandon glanced at the trail, which was about a hundred meters away. He frowned. "So, we struggled to get through that forest when there was a trail that led us right through it?" He looked at the others, confused.

"If we would have taken the trail, then those Knights would have caught us." Ravu told him, as she pulled a few leaves off of her shirt.

"We should be safe here." Leah looked back towards the forest, watching the yellow eyes retreat back into the darkness. "How far are we from Zemblar?"

"Just a few more miles."

"Better get a move on then." Greg sheathed his sword on his back and started towards the trail.

"Yep. Time for another long, boring walk." Brandon whined, as he and the others followed.

And he was right. The walk was boring, really boring. This time, no one spoke. A few random songs from Brandon, but other than that no one spoke. It was quite for about thirty minutes…

"Finally!!!" Brandon raised his hands to the sky and dropped to his knees. They had arrived at Zemblar.

"Brandon, get up."

"You're such an idiot."

"I'm so glad we made it!!" Everyone glanced at Greg. "What? It's true. We've been walking forever."

"I heard that." Brandon nodded in agreement.

"Boys are so lazy." Ravu shook her head in disbelief as they walked into town. The town wasn't anything great, if it even could be called that. This was where immigrants and wandering merchants made their profit, most of the time. They started small businesses that filled the streets and made up most of the small town. There weren't any paved roads, and most of the citizens didn't wear attracted clothes; though they were the closest town to Ragnias City.

From a building in the far corner of the area nearest to the heroes, one of the soldiers was watching the targets progress into town. He was dressed in the same clothing as most of the citizens, just so that he would fit in. Behind him, three more soldiers were sitting at a table. They were playing cards and drinking, trying to enjoy themselves and hoping that the Keyblade Wielders and their friends wouldn't show up too soon.

"Looks like those giant key-wielding kids have just arrived in town." The man at the window smiled as he looked back at his buddies. "Hurry and contact the L.C. Ganboia. Tell him what we've found."

**Disney Castle…**

Sora was amazed how much Kairi was picking up lessons from the Knight, while they were sparring. The Knight was nice enough to teach her some nice moves that even Sora didn't know about. Of course, it wasn't much of a sparring match. More like a training match. All the while, he noticed that Riku and Jason were throwing "looks" at one another, like they were eager to see what the other one was all about.

The Keyblade Master had no doubt that his best friend was going to win the match. Riku never lost. No matter how hard Sora trained and how much Riku slacked off, Sora could never win against him. He thought that when they had returned from their last adventure that Riku would take a break and focus on school. During that time, Sora would train and then challenge Riku a few weeks later. But he had found out, not long after, that Riku was still working on his skills twice a day; early in the morning and late at night.

In the battle, the Knight and Kairi had already begun their actually sparring match, just to see if Kairi picked up on any of the things he had taught her. And she had. She was dodging a lot quicker, hitting twice as hard, and she was able to defend all of his attacks. But he knew she'd ease up, just at the fact that she was doing a lot better than ever before.

He was right. Kairi was getting a little too happy at her own performance. She had withdrawn from her assault on the Knight and was just about to say an arrogant comment, just as Sora would, when the Knight pressed forward. She had no time to attack and the Knight swiftly disarmed her. From shock, she stumbled back and tripped, landing on her butt before looking up at the Knight. His sword was at her neck.

"Lady Kairi. You're dead." The Knight drew back his sword and pulled up his faceguard, revealing a peaceful smile. "You are an excellent swordswoman, Lady Kairi. Though, you must remain focused during battle, even if you are levels above your opponent." He extended his hand.

"Thanks. I'll keep that in mind." Kairi smiled back and grabbed his hand, allowing him to pull her to her feet. While that happened, the other Knights began to clap. Even Jason was clapping for the girl, as she was a lot better than he had gave her credit for.

Kairi retreated to the sidelines, where the others were waiting. The first one to congratulate her was, none other than, Sora.

"Kairi, you were great! I didn't know you could fight like that!" Sora exclaimed, smiling in her face.

Kairi let out a small laugh. "Me either."

"That was excellent, Kairi." Riku told her, as he stepped up. "You've really improved."

"Thanks Riku."

"Well, let's not keep the audience waiting." Jason murmured, walking right by the three Keyblade Wielders. He didn't make eye contact with any of them, and he wasn't going to. He just kept walking.

"Okay," Sora placed a hand on Riku's shoulder. "It's your turn, Riku. Show Jason what you can do."

"I intend to." Sora and Kairi smiled at their friend, as he made his way into the sparring ring. He could feel the eyes of the Knights watching eagerly. They wanted to see what they infamous Riku could do and what he was made of.

Jason felt the nervousness of battle wash over him. It was more of an excited nervousness than anything else. He slowly nodded towards one of the Knights, and the Knight threw him a long sword and a long dagger.

Riku found it strange that he was using a different sword, than the one on his back. So, he asked the question that came to mind.

"Why aren't you using the weapon on your back?" Riku outstretched his right arm. Dark energy began to generate in the palm of his hand and The Way to Dawn appeared in his grasp.

"There is no need. This is a sparring match." Jason lowered himself into a fighting stance, sliding the dagger into a small sheath on the back of his leg armor. "Are you ready?"

"Whenever you are." Riku responded, raising his Keyblade to eye-level and outstretching his other arm directly in front of him. The air was tense and everyone was silent, wondering which of the two would act first.

Jason was first. He blazed forward, holding his sword with both hands and dragging it behind. This slowed his speed down, but he wasn't trying to go in for a quick attack. He was trying to make the Keyblade Wielder attack first, which he did.

Riku took two steps forward and then lunged at Jason, in a low position. He slid his Keyblade into a reverse grip and attempted to hit the Second-In-Command officer with an upward slash. But Jason used the sword to block it just enough that the attack would continue to grind against his sword, and Riku would continue to raise into the air. Once the Keyblade was safely above his air, and Riku was defenseless, Jason spun and slammed his elbow into Riku's stomach. The blow threw the boy back, but he managed to land on his feet and throw himself right back at Jason, just as Jason was continuing his assault. The two met and their blades locked, sending a series of sparks out in the crowd.

The clash sent the two warriors back to a safe distance, but Riku quickly closed the gap with two quick dashes. His attack was focused more on speed, than on power, and his objective was to give Jason a fresh new wound he could boast about later. But Riku failed to make contact, as Jason, again, blocked the attack. Riku followed up with two more swings, which were both blocked. But it put Jason in a difficult position to react from.

Jason was in a position to attack one last time. After that, he'd be wide open for an attack. He could spin, roll, duck, or just all-out try and block again, but the attack would make contact with some part of his body. Riku knew this, and he was pretty sure that Jason did too.

So Riku attack in that precise manner, in which Jason blocked the attack. And, just as the both of them had though, Jason was left wide open. His sword hand was in the air and the sword was too heavy to bring back down for a quick swipe, so that was out of the picture. Only thing he could do, from Riku's point of view, was wait for the attack.

Riku shifted his blade a few degrees into a position that would cause a serious, but not fatal, wound. He felt Jason deserved it for his cocky and arrogant attitude. Riku didn't hesitate as he forced his Keyblade forward. It all seemed to unfold in slow motion. Riku noticed something strange…

Jason didn't seem worried about the wound. Did he have some other plan up his sleeve? Riku felt foolish for thinking that. There was no way he could defend or counter, and his attack was already in motion. He was going to make the hit; there was no doubt in his mind.

But something happened. Something unexpected. Riku watched it unfold with his own eyes. He had forgotten about Jason's other arm, and had neglected to notice that he blocked the last attack with just one arm. So where was his other arm, his right arm?

Riku got his answer as Jason's right hand came into view. In his grasp was the dagger he had sheathed at the beginning of the match. Due to its size, Jason was able to bring it forward with triple the speed of the sword in his left hand. And with that type of speed, he would be able to deflect Riku's Keyblade from hitting any part of his body.

And he did. The dagger came and went, like lightning. It struck Riku's Keyblade swiftly and knocked it off it's course, causing it to pierce the air to the left of Jason's ribcage. With Riku's attack still in motion, Jason spun on his foot. Riku pushed his body to its limit and jerked himself in the opposite direction with a spin. Just as Jason brought his sword into full swing, Riku did the same for his Keyblade. The two blades met and the two warriors were thrown back; both sliding across the ground.

Riku was shocked, though he didn't show it. Jason was good. He had obviously waited for the right moment to use the dagger, and he had used it with such grace at the exact moment he needed it. Riku couldn't believe he had allowed the dagger to flee from his mind. He should of known Jason was planning to use that dagger during the fight. But since he allowed it to sway from his mind, he was almost dealt a serious blow.

Riku watched as Jason waited from where he stood. He didn't have that cocky, arrogant grin on. Nor were his eyes showing any signs of cockiness. It was clear to Riku that he had surprised Jason with his success of blocking Jason's last attack.

It was clear to them, as well as the spectators, that the match was only beginning…

* * *

**Well, thats it. Kind of a fun chapter for me, though it took forever. Anyway, review please!**

**Preview: Riku's battle with Jason heats up. Ganboia and Semaria face off against Opalaisha and...I haven't decided yet.**


	6. Chapter 6: Through the Town

**The long awaited 6th chapter. I hate that I'm just now getting my drive back to write this. I have new ideas for this fic, better than my old. Future chapters will speed the plot right along, this chapter is just to break the ice. Enjoy.**

* * *

**Chapter 6: Through the Town, Into the Mines.**

Sora lifted his arm quickly to shield his eyes from the dust and small bits of debris. He could hear whispers of the battle all around him, even from Kairi. He had never expected Jason to hold his own against Riku. He had never thought Riku would have a difficult time defeating Jason in a sparring match. Even with the position of Second-In-Command, he never, for a minute, thought Jason stood a chance against Riku. Because to him, Riku was…

_Unbeatable._

Sora's battle with Rebecca should have shined some light on a bit of Jason's abilities in battle. She had said she trained with him, and even trained longer than he did, yet he was still better than she was. But he had forgotten all about his battle; all his attention was on the battle before him.

Kairi studied Sora's face. He seemed shocked, as his eyes became visible from lowering his arm. She, herself, was shocked by the battle as well. Jason was on par with Riku…or yet, Riku was on par with Jason. She wasn't surprised at the fact that Riku wasn't winning; she was shocked by how intense the battle was.

As the dust cleared, Jason returned to Riku's sight. Both of them were breathing heavily, and now covered in a few scratches. Neither of them had gotten an actual blow on one another, but they were getting ever so close. And even though the battle was just a sparring match, Riku could rank this as one of his tough battles.

'_He's tiring… But I am too, which doesn't do me any good at all. I'd say we're just about even, at the moment.'_ Riku lowered himself a bit, by bending his knees, and he moved his right leg forward and leaned on it slightly; he was ready to rush forward. _'Still, he has two weapons to work with, while I have one. Even at our current state, I'll still have to push myself to meet his duel-blade speeds.'_

Riku _didn't_ like his odds. With just one Keyblade, he could consider himself at a disadvantage. He could summon a second Keyblade, but that wasn't his style; he was used to fighting with just one weapon, though he was capable of using two. With his lack of experience in using two blades, the match would come to an end before he could actually formulate a plan using the two blades. That, alone, cancelled out that option.

'_I have to disarm him somehow, then things would be a bit easier.'_ Riku told himself. He studied Jason's movements; the boy was used to swinging the larger sword first, and then following up with a quick thrust from the dagger. Occasionally, he would attack with the dagger first, using it as a distraction for his second weapon to come into play. Right now, however, he was edging himself closer to Riku.

'_And lets not forget that third sword.'_ Riku's eyes locked onto the handle of the blade on Jason's back, it was the only part visible. _'Is he saving it for the right moment, like the dagger? No, he would have used it already.'_

"You ready to give up?" Jason questioned, placing his right hand a bit behind his back. It was the same hand that wielded the dagger.

"No," Riku answered, and then launched himself forward. _'He's gonna attack with the dagger first!'_

Just as Riku had thought, Jason attacked with the dagger. First, he swung it in hopes that Riku would slow a bit, but seeing as Riku didn't, he swung it again. The Dark Keybearer sidestepped at the last possible second, completely evading the second swing and throwing himself to Jason's left.

As Riku had predicted, Jason's left arm was already in motion to attack. With the momentum of the step, Riku was given an extra bit of strength that he used to slam _Way To Dawn_ against Jason's sword. The extra power allowed Riku to overpower Jason's sword and knock it back, which also caused Jason to take an extra step back to regain himself. It was then that Riku went for the dagger.

Riku pushed his body to its' limits and spun himself, gaining an extra bit of power to use. Once he came around toward Jason's right hand, he whacked the dagger as hard as he could.

'_Damn!'_ Jason felt the dagger fly from his hand. He didn't dwell on it though; he brought the sword in his left hand back into play just as fast. Riku was in _no_ position to guard, dodge, or anything that would save him from the strike. Jason felt a wave of eagerness wash over him, as his sword drew closer and closer to Riku's shoulder.

But it came to an abrupt stop, clashing against an almost clear shield that had appeared around Riku. It almost resembled a reflect spell, but it felt different. It felt _dark_.

Jason leapt back to a safe distance, lowering his sword. "What's this?"

Riku stood up straight. "You were trying to deal a fatal blow, weren't you?" He asked, eyeing the boy with a glare. "You _knew_ I wouldn't be able to do anything to save myself after my last tactic."

"Don't be stupid, how could I have known?" Jason retorted in the same tone. "The results of battle are un-expecting." He let the words linger in the air a moment. His eyes let out a quick shine, something Riku barely caught onto. "Are you going to continue?"

Riku seemed a bit hesitant, but Jason's cold demeanor fueled a sudden desire to continue. "Yeah."

Jason dropped the sword and reached for the sword on his back. His eyes had darkened by now, but it seemed only Riku could tell. Sora and Kairi waited eagerly to see what was going to happen next, putting aside their fright of Riku being killed for just a moment. But before Jason could grasp his sword, Rebecca stepped onto the field.

"Jason, that's enough!" She shouted, waving her small hands through the air. "It's a draw, we're going to leave it at that."

The Second-In-Command seemed to falter, but only for a moment. He closed his eyes, relaxing himself, before placing his hands back to his sides. "Very well. Knights, resume your training!" He shouted, forgetting all about the Keyblade Wielders.

Riku released his grip on _Way To Dawn_ and it vanished in a cluster of dark energy. He turned back to Sora and Kairi, a look of confusion on his face. But the only thing Sora and Kairi could do was shrug.

"What was that all about, Rebecca?" Riku asked, staring in the distance at Jason as he left to command the knights.

Rebecca sighed. "Jason…he's…well, he doesn't do very well in fights."

"We can see that." Sora said with sarcasm.

But Rebecca just shook her head. "No, you don't understand. He gets out of control sometimes. His anger is the problem. He's even went so far as to challenge His Majesty to a match."

"Who one?" Kairi asked. Looking at the two, Rebecca could see that both Kairi and Sora shared a look of curiosity.

"The King, of course." The younger girl said a matter-of-factly. She waved for them to follow her as she began on her way. "C'mon, lets check out the ship. We'll take the long way, since Kairi hasn't seen much of the castle yet. We'll probably be leaving real soon."

"Right." Riku nodded and followed with his friends. "So, Rebecca, whats the story on you and Jason? Traveling with the King, I don't remember him ever mentioning you two."

"That doesn't surprise me." A saddened look crossed Rebecca's face. "He doesn't mention us because he says we'd be in danger if he did. When we come of age, he said he'd tell us. But I don't think he will. Jason is old enough and he won't tell Jason because he knows that I'll end up hearing it anyway."

"Ah." Was all Sora said.

"You see, my brother and I came here when we were really young. We came in a space ship. I don't remember where we came from, but Mickey says it was a world of corruption. He didn't say much more than that." Rebecca explained. Her voice softened. "But…I'm too young to remember, but I…I feel like I forgot something there. Or someone."

"Your mother and father." Riku answered. "That's probably what you feel that you're missing."

"It could be a toy or something, Riku." Kairi added, trying to think. But she went toward Rebecca and placed a hand on her shoulder. "But we're sorry to hear that, Rebecca. We didn't know that you and your brother were…"

"Orphans?" The young girl finished. "I guess we are, in a sense. But I don't see it that way!" She perked up and smiled. "Mickey and everyone hear treats us like family, like we've been here all of our lives!"

"You kinda have, if you can't remember-OW!" Sora jumped and gazed over at Kairi, who was glaring. "What'd I say?"

While Kairi snapped at Sora for his lack of respect, Riku quickened his pace to keep up with Rebecca.

"Well, Rebecca, I'd say that your family is here." The Dark Keyblade wielder smiled. "You're family here, without a doubt."

Rebecca grinned. "Yeah!"

The tour was short, as much of Rebecca's stories kept the Keybearers' attention on her and not the castle. She pointed out a few things that she personally liked for Kairi to look at, but her stories took up most of the trip around King Mickey's home. It wasn't long before they were walking into Chip and Dale's Gummi Garage to check on their ship. King Mickey, Donald and Goofy were already there.

"Yo, Your Majesty!" Sora waved as he came over to them. "Is the ship ready?"

The King nodded. "Yes. Chip and Dale have done excellent work and added your G.W.E., as promised."

"Uh…Yeah. Can you explain what that is again?"

"It's a Gravitic Warp Engine, makes traveling a lot faster. Trust me." Rebecca explained. "I would go into details, but I don't know a thing about how its built or anything."

"Thats fine. It makes us go faster." Sora nodded as he seemed to understand that much. "I'll take that definition."

The King laughed. "You all can leave as soon as possible."

"Great!" Sora rushed over to Donald and Goofy, wrapping his arms around their necks. "Lets get going guys, just like-"

"Erm, Sora, Goofy and I…" Donald started.

"Donald and Goofy will be going with me this time." Mickey interrupted. "We've discussed this and they insisted that they wanted to watch over me."

"Yeah! Sora, we don't need to worry about you, you have Riku and Kairi to protect you." Though Goofy wanted it to sound as nice as possible, Sora looked a bit hurt by it. "Aw Sora, c'mon. We'll see each other from time to time, just like we ran into the King."

"Jeez, Kairi and I aren't that bad, Sora." Riku folded his arms and smirked.

"Yeah, but….oh forget it." The Keyblade's chosen grinned and let go of his friends. "You're right Goofy, we'll see each other out there!"

"Oh, and Jason will be accompanying you all. I don't remember if I told you that or not." The King said, rubbing his chin as if trying to remember if he did or not.

"Great."

"I can go, right!" Rebecca said, waving her hands through the air to get the King's attention.

He frowned. "I'm sorry Rebecca, but I've decided otherwise. I know how you like to disobey me from time to time, but this is a direct order from the King: You are to remain here at the castle." The King ordered.

Immediately, even before the King had given his order, Rebecca was pouting and stomping her feet, shouting "Its not fair! It's just not fair!". She left the garage, whining. Being that King Mickey made it a royal order; no one tried to protest, though some wanted to.

"Just the three of us then." Kairi said, looking between herself, Riku and Sora. "My first adventure with you guys."

"Our first adventure together." Sora added.

"That's what she meant."

"I was just re-clarifying it."

King Mickey coughed into his hand to gain their attention. "Not exactly. Remember, Jason is coming with you."

"Oh yeah…" Sora groaned as loud as he could. "I forgot."

"Get used to me, kid."

The voice caused Sora to jump, as well as Kairi, as Jason walked by and went down to the ship. Riku didn't seem to pay the Second-In-Command any attention.

"The heck did he come from?"

"You all should get going." Mickey said, ignoring Sora's obvious question. "Donald, Goofy and I will be leaving right after you four, so hop to it."

Sora gave a mock salute. "You can count on us, sir-UGH! HEY!" He looked back to Kairi as she pulled him to the ship by his collar.

"Just come on. We've got to get our seats before Jason gets one." Kairi said as she hurried along with Sora.

Riku bowed to the King. "Your Majesty, we will do the best we can."

"I know, Riku. Be safe. May your heart guide you safely."

With one last bow, Riku left to board the ship. Upon entering, he noticed that Jason had found a seat for himself near the back, where he sat quietly. Sora was rustling around at the front controls, where a few new buttons had been installed. Kairi was gazing hesitantly at a button she wanted to press, but didn't. Riku climbed into the pilot's seat.

"Chip and Dale sure do work fast." Sora said, buckling into his seat. "No way I could of done all this in just the morning."

"They are the best of the best." Jason said, sighing. He seemed to be annoyed by something, but Sora noticed it wasn't because of any of them. His eyes kept going to the rear of the ship, the closet. Riku didn't bother to check on the male in the rear and powered up the engines.

"Chip. Dale. We're ready for takeoff."

"_Righty-O, Mr. Riku! Launch when ready, all's clear!"_ Came Chip's voice.

The rear thrusters burst to life and the ship shook as it moved forward, before it jolted and shot forward into the sky and then into space.

"The ship knows where we're going to go." Jason said from the back. "All that needs to be done is for Kairi to press that button she's been staring at. It should say 'warp' on it…Chip and Dale thought it'd be convenient to make it a lot simpler than the other ships."

Kairi rubbed her hand across the button. "You mean this-AAHH!"

The ship jolted once more and the stars began to blur by them. Sora unbuckled himself and went to get a better look outside.

"Whoa…"

Jason reached over and knocked on the closet that was beside him, which struck Riku and Kairi as odd.

"You can come out."

A few seconds passed and nothing happened. Then the closet door flew open and Rebecca stumbled out, a broom following to smack her in the head.

"Ouch!"

"Rebecca!" The princess from the front shouted. "What are you doing here? The King said-"

"What he doesn't know won't hurt him." Rebecca said as she put the broom back into the closet and shut the door fast, so it wouldn't fall back out. "Right, JT?"

Jason shrugged. "Yeah, you're right."

**Zemblar…**

"Hit me with another one!" Shouted a man at the counter, slamming his empty glass down.

Around him, several others were sitting, drinking from their own glasses. They didn't say much of anything, other than the occasional "Hit me again". Behind them were tables, which were barely seated with anyone; the most having three people at most. The lights above were dim and continued to flicker on and off, daring to go out any second. Somehow, they managed to remain on. No one paid the lights any attention.

The bartender nodded and grabbed the glass to refill it again. While he was doing that, the doors slammed open. A man stepped in, decorated in brilliant, golden-looking armor. His round, hair-less head reflected the light from outside, causing it to give off a shine that was brighter than the dim lights in the bar. He raised a hand and twisted a side of his mustache, before walking inside.

The ground seemed to shake as he walked through the bar. Those seated at the tables in his intended path moved to other tables, even though the man just walked around the tables. It seemed they were expecting the man to destroy the tables that were in his way, but he did nothing of the sort. When he came up to the counter, he leaned on it with one arm and flashed a million-dollar grin that looked like it had went down in price years ago.

"How are you today, my good sir?" He asked.

The bartender turned to look at him, his hand in a glass he was holding. He was cleaning it, looking like the typical bartender ready for questioning. "Good, Lieutenant Colonel Ganboia. What can I do for you?"

Ganboia slid a piece of paper onto the counter and over to the bartender, spinning it so the bartender could get a good look. "These kids. Have you seen any of them?"

The bartender seemed to gaze at the paper with great interest, as if he had seen the kids somewhere before. A glint shined from the corner of Ganboia's eye. He just knew he had caught a good lead. The word had spread to the other Rambosans quickly that the kids were seen entering the city.

"Sorry, I haven't." The bartender admitted, which forced a look of anger onto Ganboia's face.

"Are you certain?"

"Pretty darn certain, sir. I remember all who come through my bar." The bartender dried the glass and poured more liquor into it before sliding it down to the man before. He looked at Ganboia. "But believe me, if I see them, I will surely let you know, sir?"

"See to it that you do." Ganboia sounded furious now as he backed away, leaving the paper for the man to hold onto. He turned and headed to the door, where a few Rambosan soldiers were waiting. Once Ganboia was gone, the bar went back to its boring, lame setting from before.

In the farthest corner of the room, away from most of the light and shrouded in the most shadows, sat six people dressed in tattered clothing. No one questioned who they where or why they had come. Lost of people, in groups or alone, had come through the bar, all with different stories. No one bothered asking anymore.

One shifted uncomfortably, hastily removing the hood from her face. Her blond hair was pulled by the raggedy hood, but fell far enough to reveal her face. She scratched the side of her cheek and said, "This hood is itchy. Why are we wearing these things again?"

"To make sure we're not noticed, Tami." Greg moved his hood back only slightly to show his face, but no further. "They are itchy though, I admit that."

"Stop complaining, you two." Ravu said. "We have to wear these so people don't recognize us. You saw that bald guy. He was probably showing the bartender a picture of us."

"No doubt. But we're probably the only people with these itchy things on." Brandon was scratching just about every place he could. His arms. His legs. His neck. Everywhere. "And Ravu, you're just grumpy because your blue hair is the first thing that's going to stick out when you take that hood off."

Ravu hissed and started to say something when Leah stopped them. "We don't have time for an argument. You two can do that once we hit the mines." Her gaze was hard, even underneath the shadows of her hood.

Tami shifted uncomfortably once again. "How long do you guys think we'll be in those mines?"

"If we go without a map, you can be down there for weeks." Opalaisha implied, keeping her hood up as well. She adjusted it.

"Then we grab the map and go." Brandon's hazel eyes seemed to gleam with nervousness in the shadows.

Greg tapped the table with his fingers, making a gently beat against the table. "I thought we needed supplies. Especially for these mines, if we do get lost. Flashlights with extra batteries; lots of food and drinks; maybe some other gear we could use."

"That's true." Leah agreed. "We can't just grab the map and go like that, we need those things. And don't think for a second that we're just going to waltz into those mines. We need to scout out the area, try to find a path that won't get us seen."

"Easier said than done." Ravu groaned. "And how are we going to go about doing all of that?"

"Splitting up will work." Opalaisha's words gained everyone's attention. "Groups of two. We can all tackle a task and meet back up here within the hour."

Leah nodded. "Sounds good to me. Ravu and I will search for a safe route into the mines. Opalaisha, you and Tami should get the supplies. You probably have a better sense of what to expect down there."

"What? Me and Brandon gotta get the map now?" Greg asked, sounding as if he really didn't want to do it.

"Yeah. Got a problem with that?" Leah asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Uh, yeah. We don-"

"Oh its fine, we can grab the map and meet you guys back here in an hour." Brandon cut in, patting Greg on the back. Leah threw him a glance, but then just nodded her head.

"Alright then, its settle." Leah rose from the table. "Meet back here in an hour."

* * *

The midday sun beamed down on Brandon and Greg, warming their dark tattered cloaks so much to bring about a slight sweat from the two. Neither seemed to notice, until Greg got a bit of sweat in his eye and let out a yelp. The complaining began there.

Zemblar's unpaved streets were littered with immigrants and merchants, all going about with their daily duties. Greg and Brandon fit right in with the homeless fellows who were lying down in the shade, sleeping their lives away. No one seemed to take notice of the two. A guy yelled for the two of them to come over and buy an "indestructible" sword for the price of a normal sword. That obviously had scam written all over it, but Brandon couldn't help but be drawn over by the far-fetched stories the man was making up for it.

After pulling Brandon away, Greg grumbled. "Brandon, don't be drawn in by those stupid stories. They aren't true."

"They sounded pretty true to me. If that sword could just help my sword skills…" Brandon trailed off.

"You aren't still worried about what happened in Ragnias, are you?" Greg frowned and patted his friend's back. "It'll different next time, man. You gotta keep an upbeat attitude man. It'll be different."

"I don't think so… How'd you get so good at sword-fighting anyway?" Brandon looked over, curiosity present in his hazel orbs. "Last I checked, we were in the same sword-fighting class. You were average."

"I'm not good, I just got lucky." Greg looked ahead, fighting the store that sold the maps. He quickly changed the subject and pointed. "Theres the place."

Brandon didn't seem to forget about the subject, but he nodded. "Lets go grab that map."

The inside of the store was small, about the size of an average size living room. A small, grumpy-looking old man sat behind the counter reading a magazine. There were racks of maps behind him on the wall, as well as in a bin beside the counter. The inner part of the store had flashlights, canned food, and some frozen treats (treats meaning frozen fish).

"Excuse me," Greg went up to the counter, while Brandon went to take a look around. The old man looked up from his magazine, his permanent scowl causing Greg to feel uncomfortable. "Um…we need a map of the mines, sir."

He stared at Greg for a moment, and then Brandon. "You two don't look like miners to me. Why don't ya'll just hike your asses to the next town above ground?"

"Why don't you just do your job?" Greg retorted, causing the man to snort. "Look, we just need a map, alright? We're just passing through, our dad sent us to buy one for him." He lied.

The man sneered. "You've got some mouth, boy. It'll be fifty-"

Brandon threw down some candy onto the counter and flashed a grin. "Add that to it, sir."

The man reluctantly did so and the two boys were quickly on their way. The storeowner watched them suspiciously before reaching under the counter and grabbed a phone. He dialed a number, waited for someone to pick up, and then said. "They just left my store."

Brandon popped an off-brand Skittle into his mouth while Greg unraveled the map. He didn't quite understand it; it looked like nothing but a bunch of lines leading to the edge of the paper. If he hadn't looked at the words, he would of thought it was part of a big jigsaw puzzle and he would have had to buy the rest of the map to understand it.

"So, you're just a lucky sword fighter, huh?" Brandon chewed and inspected the small bag of candy as he asked the question. "Tami and I both know that you weren't lucky. That was skill man."

"Luck." Greg grunted in annoyance.

"You call a two element attack luck?" Brandon looked up at this time, but remained chewing.

"So I gotta a lot of extra training." The elder boy murmured. "Look, lets just drop it, okay? Its not that big of a deal." He replied. "That luck won't happen often. We need to train while we're on our way to Rambosa."

Brandon didn't reply right away, probably because he was trying to sort out which colors to devour first. "Speaking of which, we're going to march right into the royal city and start demanding answers? Not very smart, even by my standards."

"We're not going to _march_ in, that'd be stupid." Greg reached for a piece of candy, but Brandon smacked his hand away. "Dude."

"Well, what do you think is going to happen when Leah gets her answers?" The dirty blond popped two more of the off-brand pieces of candy into his mouth. "Just come back home?"

"Not exactly sure…" Greg frowned at that fact. "But they're lookin' for those who can wield the Keyblade so…we need to find out why."

"Or die trying, right?"

"We aren't going to die, Brandon. Yeesh, have some faith in us."

Brandon rolled his eyes. "I have faith that we can bash the heads of some of those knights and soldiers. But those high-ranking dudes…not so much."

"Lack of faith, man." Greg rolled the map back up and placed a hand on Brandon's back. "Its going to take us a while to get to Rambosa. On the way, I'll give you some sword-fighting pointers whenever we have free time. I'm sure Ravu-"

"Hell no," Brandon shook his head as if trying to get rid of something on it. "No way I'm taking lessons from her. We don't exactly…click, if you know what I mean."

Greg sighed. "Lets just get back to the bar. We'll talk about it more once we're there."

* * *

Tami wasn't too thrilled to be the one shopping for the team, partially because she didn't know what to get, exactly, other than food. Luckily, Opalaisha was able to help with that problem. Food came first, and Tami took care of that easily. She gathered up apples and oranges, tons of bread, a few thin slabs of meat, and a bunch of fruits she wasn't educated on. She and Opalaisha didn't grab much; it only had to last them until the next town…or if they were ambushed in that town, then the town after that, and so forth. Still, they didn't grab too much.

Opalaisha decided that next they would get a few first-aid items, which seemed like a good idea to Tami. Due to the risk of going into the mines, most stores carried an assortment of medicines and bandages. Opalaisha grabbed the medicines she knew the group would probably need, mostly pain killers. Tami grabbed the bandages and bought a bright red bag for the first-aid items.

They left the small store with four bags of food and the red first-aid bag. Shortly after that, Opalaisha noticed that no one else was carrying as many bags as they were, which made it look a bit suspicious: two teens dressed in dark tattered cloaks buying a bunch of food. That just spelled trouble, so Opalaisha led Tami out of sight.

"I see why we would look suspicious now." Tami said staring down at her cloth. "What else do we need? We should hurry this up and get back."

"Yes." Opalaisha nodded. "We need bags for you all to carry. This food won't fit in just one bag."

Tami seemed to register that for the first time and gave a slight nod. "But where do we get bags?"

"I know a place. You'll need other things too for the mines and, luckily, that place carries what you need. Flashlights, rope, all you need." Opalaisha looked out to make sure no one suspected who they were. "You take the rest of these bags back to the bar and I'll get the other items. I have a feeling…" She paused, not wanting to scare Tami.

Tami didn't seem to hear the last partially said sentence while she picked her bags back up, so Opalaisha didn't bother. Tami picked up the rest of the bags.

"They sure aren't light." She groaned to herself.

"You know the way back, right?" Tami nodded. "Alright, well get going, and watch out." Before Tami could ask what to watch out for, Opalaisha was heading off. Tami had no choice but to turn the other way and head back to the bar.

Meanwhile, Opalaisha was making her way into the depth of Zemblar, where the concentration of Rambosan soldiers seemed to increase. She grew tense as she found more and more soldiers walking around, patrolling. Zemblar wasn't very large to begin with, but she found it strange that she hadn't noticed the soldiers. She was sure she would grab the attention of some of them when she came back carrying five backpacks. Then again, the backpacks weren't really needed, but it was easier than carrying four large bags and secreted the smell of various foods. She also needed to get them other supplies as well. Maybe she could sneak out the back.

She pushed through the now thin crowds of merchants and immigrants, and even through a group or two of Rambosan soldiers. She made it to her destination; one of the larger buildings of the town built with a special kind of wood to help it stand against the test of time. It still looked old and creaky, but it was still standing sturdy. Outside, two Rambosan soldiers stood chatting about nonsense. Opalaisha didn't hesitate and went inside.

Getting the items she needed didn't take long. Of course, it took a little strategizing in order to sneak out the back and out of the sight of most of the soldiers. From there, she used lesser streets to get back to the bar. When she entered, no one even looked twice at her. She caught sight of Greg, Brandon and Tami at the same table as before and she brought the bags over to the table.

"Opalaisha, there you are." Tami beamed as the girl came up, placing the bags on the floor beside the table. "I was worried for a second."

"Worried?" The tan-skinned girl sat down.

"Rambosan soldiers. Tami said she saw a few outside, watching the place." Greg informed her. "They must've seen me and Brandon when we came back or something."

"Sorry we weren't very careful." Brandon was still eating his off-brand Skittles, which were almost gone.

"Its fine. I didn't notice them either. They are mainly set to patrol near the mines, that's where they are set up. You're lucky, they must think you all are farther in town." Opalaisha lifted one of the bags onto the table. "Lets get these bags packed. When Leah and Ravu return, you can leave immediately."

There weren't any protests and the loading of the bags got underway. Thanks to all the shuffling in the rear of the bar, many of the customers were starting to take notice. Greg only told the others to continue packing; they'd be heading off as soon as Leah and Ravu returned, which wasn't long after they began packing.

"No way we can get through without being noticed, huh?" Greg sounded as if his brain was working in overdrive.

"Not surprised. Opalaisha told us that most of the soldiers were patrolling near the mines anyway." Tami zipped one of the finished bags up and placed it beside her. "How are we going to get in there then?"

"Someone is going to have to make a diversion while the rest of us get inside. That's the only way that will work." Leah was checking the items Tami and Opalaisha had bought back.

"If that's the issue, I should be able to help there." Stunned looks crossed the faces of the heroes as they looked to Opalaisha, but the girl held her serious gaze. "I said I could take you as far as the mines, to help you on _your_ journey."

No one liked the way she had said _your_, it was as if she wasn't even apart of the group. Unfortunately, it was true, she wasn't. She had offered her help and the others had taken it without protest. And she had helped them enough already, and the others were thankful for that.

"Opalaisha," Greg flurried his eyebrows, his eyes staring at the table as if re-arranging the words in his mind so he could say them just right. "We…you can't do that for us, it's too much. They could hurt you. You've already done so much for us, we can handle the rest from here."

"There's a chance that whomever stays will be left behind." Leah pointed out, folding her arms. "If she thinks she can do it, let her. We could use that help."

"She could be hurt." Greg retorted. "I'd rather not have that on my conscious."

"Its her choice."

"Then I'll fight-"

Opalaisha coughed to cease the argument, which somehow managed to work. "I'll be fine, Greg. No need to worry." She said. "It's the only way I know that will help you all. I have blue hair, so does Ravu. They could confuse me with her."

After giving it some thought, Ravu added. "I think it'll work. But are you sure, Opalaisha? You don't have to do this-"

Opalaisha only nodded. "I won't let them catch me. I can do it, its no problem at all."

"Pssh…no problem at all…" Greg grumbled silently.

Leah leaned forward. "Here's what we'll do then."

* * *

A Rambosan soldier's patrol duties were the worst of the worst. Nothing ever happened on patrol, period. The fact that they were dealing with Keyblade wielders sent a surge of excitement through the officers, but it died down quickly. No one really cared anymore; it had been hours and they hadn't seen any action. They were starting to believe that the sighting of Keyblade wielders had been a lie, or perhaps it was just a mock test or something.

Opalaisha slowly rose up, standing on the roof of one of the buildings overlooking the mining site, her ocean-colored battle staff at her side. It shimmered, just like water when light reflected off of it. She stood there for a moment, accessing the situation, strategizing, only until someone caught sight of her.

Her tattered robe was gone and she stood in her vest, spandex shorts and thigh-high boots. Her violet eyes seemed almost pink in the direct sunlight, and they held a hard gaze. As the soldiers began rambling about, ringing alarms and shouting orders about finding the Lieutenant Colonel, Opalaisha figured it was a nice enough time to tie her long hair into a ponytail. It didn't do much good, it was still long in the end, but it did get her hair out of her eyes.

Despite the soldiers loading their ranged weapons and aiming for her, Opalaisha didn't move. She wasn't going to until they opened fire or until…

"So, the Keyblade wielder shows herself!"

Even though they were hidden, Ravu and Leah recognized the voice easily. It was Ganboia, the bald-headed Lieutenant Colonel who had made his way to the top of Ravu's personal death list.

Ganboia stepped through his low-ranking officers, his mace already in hand. The grin on his face was one that said _"I've already won this battle!"_

"Come down here and surrender yourself." He barked, his voice shaking the ground. "You won't be harmed, I promise you that."

Opalaisha didn't move. Her eyes never left the man for a second. She was only hoping that Greg and the others had gotten close enough to the mine before she would act.

"Did you hear me?" Ganboia's grin began to falter. "I said come down here, you little bit-"

"You talk too much." Opalaisha finally spoke. The top half of her battle staff began to glow, but if Ganboia saw it, he sure wasn't worried about it.

"What did you say?" Ganboia took a step forward, as if he was trying to threaten and frighten the girl.

Opalaisha closed her eyes, the glow of her battle staff brightened. It grabbed the soldiers' attention, but they waited for an order from their commanding officer.

That was a stupid decision on their part.

"Watera Art: Tsunami!"

Water rose up behind Opalaisha, as if the ocean was right behind her. The wave was almost twenty feet high and still rising, when it came over the edge of the building and crashed down onto the soldiers as well as Ganboia. Soldiers flailed their arms helplessly, fired their weapons into the air, hoping to hit the spell caster, and shouted curses like there was no tomorrow. Ganboia was the only one who actually managed to stay on his feet, and he took the spell of water at full force.

Soldiers scrambled to their feet only to fall back down. The water just kept coming, pushing the soldiers back. Ganboia watched and only grew angry, but as soon as he turned to Opalaisha, his face met with the side of her battle staff.

"Why you little!" Ganboia staggered, placing a hand on the side of his face where Opalaisha had hit him. "I'm going to-"

Opalaisha bashed him again with her battle staff, hitting him on top of the head this time. He grumbled a curse under his breath and tried to attack, bringing his mace down. Opalaisha dodged to the right, the mace slamming into the ground where she once stood. She slipped around to his left and slammed her battle staff into the back of his legs, the length taking out his legs and forcing Ganboia to fall onto his back. The ground cracked underneath his bulky physique.

Ganboia snatched Opalaisha's leg before she could move back to safety. She struggled but the Lieutenant Colonel proved too strong and he flung her toward the building. Luckily from his position, Ganboia couldn't throw very well and Opalaisha was able to land safely on her feet.

"Get her! Get her now! Get Semaria out here!" Ganboia shouted, his baldhead glowing red with anger.

A roar was born from the soldiers as they gathered up their swords and guns and rushed Opalaisha. The girl simply raised her battle staff and slammed it on the ground, unleashing a wave of psychic energy that push the soldiers right back to the ground.

There weren't many soldiers, but there were enough to overrun Opalaisha because she was fighting alone. She knew that her attacks wouldn't weaken Ganboia as much, but they were going to easily get rid of his back up.

Ganboia was furious, his eyes burning with pure rage. "**YOU!**"

Opalaisha didn't cower in front of him, but she wasn't full of confidence either. She twirled her battle staff around as Ganboia approached her slowly. He then broke into a mad sprint and swung his mace at her. She threw her battle staff out to block, but the force sent her sliding away. That caught her off-guard, but not as much as one would of hoped.

She knew her way around the battlefield and she knew how to read opponents. Opalaisha felt the rage from Ganboia and that, along with his blind actions of attacking, easily told her that he couldn't fight when he was angry. He would be easy to manipulate and drive away.

Ganboia attacked again, his feet shaking the ground with each step as he rushed at Opalaisha. The girl stood her ground, her eyes narrowed in all seriousness. At the last second, she moved to the right and swung her staff at Ganboia's head. He caught it, surprising her, and threw it aside, leaving Opalaisha wide open to take a full swing from his mace.

Opalaisha didn't know which hurt worse: the mace hitting her, or her body hitting the side of a building. Anyway, it hurt, and she didn't like it. Yet, she easily hid the fact that it hurt and it seemed as if she just shook off the pain. Ganboia didn't wait for her to fully recover and charged her once again, his mace waiting above his head to come down on her. She grabbed her battle staff with both hands and brought it up with enough force to deflect the mace with the shaft, but only slightly. Twirling her staff and bending her knees, she spun clockwise, her staff grinding against the ground, and took out Ganboia's feet once again. He hit the ground hard.

"Down again." Opalaisha muttered to Ganboia, the man growling. As the man began to move, Opalaisha retreated to a safe distance. And as she did, another officer took the field, this one a woman.

"Lieutenant Colonel, you must calm down, sir." The hazel-eyed brunette came to Ganboia's side, worry evident on her face. "Are you alright, sir? I'm sorry I couldn't get here fast enough!"

"I'm fine, Johnston! This brat didn't hurt me!" Ganboia barked, pushing himself up. He looked at the rest of the soldiers. "What are you standing around for? Get into Zemblar and find the rest of those brats!"

Semaria tried to protest. "But sir, the mines-"

"Forget the mines! Find those kids, all of you! **NOW!**" Ganboia roared over her. The soldiers scrambled around, picking up their weapons and then bolted off into town, passing right by Opalaisha.

The girl with the electric blue hair could only smile. With the mines unguarded, the others could get in quietly and without any trouble. She only hoped they were moving quickly and not taking their sweet time.

Ganboia growled at the smile on Opalaisha's face. "We're going to wipe that smile right off your face."

She raised her battle staff and twirled it around herself, her eyes meeting Ganboia's. Semaria, who was standing nervously beside Ganboia, snatched a dagger from on her person and flung it at Opalaisha so fast that she didn't even see it. Luckily, the dagger hit her battle staff and fell to the ground.

"Kill her."

Semaria nodded and pulled two more daggers into light. There was no telling how many she had, but Opalaisha figured that the woman would throw them before getting too close. That idea was crushed when Semaria sent a thrust to stop the spinning of the battle staff and then tried to slash across Opalaisha's face with the other. The girl took a step back and swung her battle staff horizontally, to which Semaria ducked and jabbed at Opalaisha's stomach with one of her daggers. Opalaisha had to move back quickly to avoid being hit.

Ganboia thought it'd be the best time to surprise the blue haired female, and did so by attacking from the side. She had to use the very edge of her staff to block, which propelled it out of her hands and a fair distance away. She flipped back, avoiding another quick swipe from Semaria, and bought herself some time.

Opalaisha placed her hands together as Semaria and Ganboia advanced on her. She said a few chants and then held her hands out toward her attackers.

"Watera Art: Tsunami!" Water seemed to come out of nowhere, literally. First there was no water, the next second a huge wave was forming behind Opalaisha. The presence of the wave startled the two officers so much that they slowed down to witness it, before it came crashing down on them, knocking them off their feet.

While that was happening, Opalaisha made a mad dash for her battle staff and managed to get it before either of the two recovered. She started to twirl her staff around in front of her and chanted a few more words. A moment later, a harsh twister of water was formed, shooting horizontally at Ganboia. Semaria stepped in between the twister and Ganboia, and hurled a small dagger into the eye of the twister. It dispersed almost instantly and Opalaisha had but a second to roll out of the path of the dagger.

"How did she…?" Opalaisha narrowed her eyes, her breathing a bit heavier than it should have been. She had used too much energy using her spells and it was finally taking toll on her.

Ganboia's temper seemed to die down. "Where is your Keyblade?" He questioned in a demanding tone.

Opalaisha said nothing, but Ganboia brain was already finding a solution.

"You're not a Keyblade user…you little brat." Ganboia stomped his foot and looked toward the mines, no one was there to guard it. "They must've slipped in."

"Correct." He turned his attention back to Opalaisha, who was smiling. "They are long gone. You let your anger get the best of-"

"It doesn't matter, we'll track them down. They'll get lost in there." Ganboia grinned and went toward her. "But you…we'll kill you for helping them. No one stands in _our_ way!"

Either Ganboia had gotten faster or Opalaisha, herself, had gotten slower. She didn't know which was the case, but she jumped to her left to dodge, rolling to her feet. She sidestepped and barely dodged one of Semaria's daggers. For some reason, Opalaisha found herself cut, even though she had successfully dodged.

She spun on her heel, swinging her battle staff in order to meet Ganboia's mace in mid-swing. He overpowered her and sent her reeling back with a kick to the chest. Opalaisha stumbled back several feet before falling down on her back. Before she knew it, Ganboia was standing over her, his mace raised.

"Oh well, looks like your times is up, you little brat." He laughed.

"Thundera!"

A bolt of lightning rained down upon Ganboia, stopping him completely. His armor lit up like a Christmas tree and he yelled in pain. Opalaisha was too stunned to move and watched as the spell ceased and Ganboia stood there, his body crackling with sparks and smoking.

"Hey, baldy!" Ganboia seemed to come out of shock at the name and turned to confront the speaker, only to meet the blunt edge of Ravu's Keyblade. He flew back and landed on the ground. The Keybearer shouldered her blade. "Take a seat."

Opalaisha looked up slowly and Ravu offered a hand. "C'mon, he won't stay down for long."

"But-" Opalaisha took her hand, but didn't really know what to say. "But I thought you all were already gone."

Ravu rolled her eyes. "We would have been, but Greg just had to turn around. And I'm glad too. If Greg wouldn't of used that thunder spell, you wouldn't been crushed. Besides" Ravu shrugged. "We're all friends."

"Hey, nice reunion, but can we go now!" Brandon yelled from the mine entrance, where Leah and Tami waited. Greg was only about ten feet away from Ravu and Opalaisha.

"Lets go, I'd hate to pick a fight with that guy right now." Greg thumbed toward the mines.

Opalaisha nodded and followed the two toward the mines. Glancing back, she could see Ganboia recovering and yelling at Semaria. Greg and Ravu saw and sped up, tugging Opalaisha along. When they arrived at the mine entrance, Rambosan soldiers were already running after them.

"Great. Now we have to run through this scary mine." Brandon grumbled as he adjusted the bag on his back, the one Opalaisha had gotten and packed.

"Stop complaining." Leah was holding the map up as they all ran into the mines. "We'll ditch them in here and…come out…uh…"

"Can you even read a map?" Greg asked.

Leah growled. "Of course I can read a map!"

"You sure?" Brandon added

"Shut up and come on!"

* * *

**Ice is broken, next chapter will be better. Hope this made up for the time. If it hasn't, the next will.**


	7. Chapter 7, Part 1: The DeVoid

_**Chapter Seven, Part 1: The DeVoid**_

Sora and the others arrived at Radiant Garden a day after their intended arrival time. The trip would of taken no more than an hour, but things didn't go according to plan. It was thanks to Sora that the gang ended up in Halloween Town yesterday. He had no real explanation other than that his curiosity fired up and he couldn't help himself. Riku was angered by it and Kairi couldn't help but think that Sora looked funny trying to get Riku and Jason to believe his excuses.

Unfortunately, once they arrived at Halloween Town, the warp engine decided to screw up. And Jason, being the only one who knew anything about them, was left to repair it as best he could. It wasn't long before the group was back on course to Radiant Garden, but it had taken Jason nearly a day to fix it. And despite the effort he put into fixing it, the warp engine decided to act screwy once Radiant Garden came into sight.

Sora grinned sheepishly at his friends. "Well, don't blame me! Blame Chip and Dale, they're the ones who equipped it to the ship."

"But we would of been here _yesterday_, if it weren't for your "curiosity getting the better of you"." Riku scowled. "That only strengthens my decision to never let you pilot again."

"Aww, c'mon Riku!" Sora whined though he couldn't help but grin. "Its not like we crashed or anything! Just...the warp engine got overheated and it screwed up."

"Yeah...that's totally not your fault."

Jason seemed to keep his anger under control, but it was clear he was, in fact, mad at the Keyblade Master. "I'll stay behind and fix it. Leon and the others should be expecting you."

"They knew we were coming." Sora paled.

The Second-In-Command rolled his eyes and sighed. "Rebecca, go with them. Just to make sure they don't do anything stupid." He eyed Sora and Riku, and gave a quick glance to Kairi. Rebecca began to smile with pure joy before her brother continued. "From the stories I've heard, you three live to do stupid stunts."

"No comment there." Sora unbuckled himself. The others followed suit.

"Learn as much information as you can. We're going to need it." Jason said. "What ever is down there isn't any kind of Heartless or Nobody, so watch yourselves. Expect the un-expected."

"Yeah, thanks." Riku nodded. "We'll keep an eye out."

"I'm sure Leon and the others can tell us whats been going on." Sora added, giving a wave. "We'll be back soon."

* * *

Sora expected the Marketplace to be bustling with life. He had told Riku and Kairi stories of Uncle Scrooge's inventive ways; how he presented Sora with the Sea Salt Ice cream. Sora expected to see the old duck with some new flavor now. Even Kairi was giddy as they appeared behind one of the accessory shops, wanting nothing more than a nice bite of ice cream right now.

As soon as the group appeared, Rebecca broke into a sprint toward the edge of the walkway, where she could get a nice view of the entire Marketplace plaza. She half expected Heuy, Dewey, and Louie to be fussing over items. She hoped they remembered her from her last few visits over the past couple of months.

She came to an adrupt stop and her eyes widened as she laid eyes on the plaza down the stairs. Kairi took quick notice, while Sora was telling Riku about all the flavors Scrooge could of possibly came up with while he was away.

"Rebecca, whats wrong?" Kairi gave a soft giggle. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

Rebecca pointed. "Heartless! They're attacking the duck family and that weird, floating thing." She was referring to the Moogle.

Kairi turned and saw that Uncle Scrooge and his nephews were surrounded by the Heartless. But they weren't screaming or yelling for help, Scrooge was too prideful for that. He had his cane raised and was swinging it wildly, shouting threats at the beady-eyed black creatures.

"Back! Get back! Steal my money, will you? I'll teach you a lesson!" Scrooge shouted, slamming his cane on the head of a Shadow.

"Sora! Heartless!" Kairi shouted, but Sora and Riku were already running past her. The two boys brandished their respective Keyblades and dove at the fray.

"Sora!" Huey exclaimed happily, as the Keyblade Master cut through two of the Heartless. Riku was covering the other end, easily pushing back the Heartless with quick thrusts and swipes.

"Get back guys, we'll handle this!" Sora pummeled one of the Shadows into the ground, where it dispersed into a black mist. A pink heart escaped its chest and fluttered into the air, disappearing a second later.

Riku and Sora made quick work of the Shadows, the lesser Heartless far from a match for either of the two. Uncle Scrooge and his nephews had retreated over to Kairi and Rebecca. The ducks cheered.

"Thanks Sora!" Dewey waved his hands so the Keyblade Master could see him.

"No problem!" Sora gave a heroic pose, only for Riku to tap him on the shoulder.

"Uh...Sora, there's more." Riku nodded toward the ground, only a few meters away, where NeoShadows were beginning to appear. They looked stronger, more sinister. Their bright yellow eyes seemed to bare right into the Keybearers, as if locking onto their hearts automatically.

More began to appear, slowly surrounding the two. They twitched with anticipation, making it hard to guess when they were going to attack. Riku didn't mind them, but Sora hated them. They were a lot faster than their lesser counterparts, which meant he had to put in some actual effort. Things just couldn't be easy this time around.

"Scrooge, you and your nephews go and get Leon! We might not be able to handle these things!" Sora called out. Uncle Scrooge mumbled something about his money and ran off with his nephews behind him.

"I don't think we'll need any help." Riku admitted.

Sora shrugged, gazing at his friend from the corner of his eye. "Yeah, well, its better than them getting their hearts ripped out by just standing there."

"True." Riku replied. "Hey, Kairi, time to put your training to the test! Rebecca, I've seen you in battle, you might as well join in. We can make this quick."

Kairi nodded and extended her right hand, her _Roaring Petal_ blossoming into her hand on cue. She just had to smile at it; her very own Keyblade. She felt like one of the guys. "I'm coming!"

While Kairi charged in to help Sora and Riku, who had made the first move on the Heartless, Rebecca looked around frantically for a weapon of her own. She was better with just her hands, but she wouldn't do anything by punching a Heartless in the head with her tiny fist. And she needed something to defend herself with. That led her to the armory, she was sure no one would mind if she "borrowed" anything, just for this particular situation anyway. She grabbed her a round metal shield, two and a half feet in diameter. Its silver structure was layered with a green metal on the front, shaped like a castle.

Without hesitation, Rebecca ran into battle screaming her battle cry, and then bashed her first Heartless right upside the head. She gazed at it for a moment because it looked like it was sleeping now. Then she turned, shifting her shield flat and cutting through the mid-section of an approaching NeoShadow. She grinned in excitement.

"This is great!" She shouted.

Kairi had other thoughts on the matter. It wasn't as great as she thought it was going to be. Her short training match at Disney Castle, as well as her spar matches with Sora and Riku, kept her instincts on active, allowing her to dodge attacks she normally would be too scared to dodge. But the whole time, she was nervous, her hands shaking around the handle of her Keyblade.

Sora could see that Kairi wasn't having such a hot time. She looked pale with fright, but even he knew she could handle any NeoShadow on her own. He fought his way over to her side.

"Kairi, you're doing great!" Sora said, which was followed by a grunt and a swing of his Keyblade. He flashed a smile at her, but it didn't seem to help the Princess of Heart. "Just focus. Find your reason to fight. Once you do that, beating these things should come naturally!" That was all he could tell her as he had to push more of the NeoShadows back.

The princess had to think about what Sora said, and the middle of a battle wasn't a great place to think. However, she gave it thought, while bashing a NeoShadow upside the head.

A reason to fight? She had one, she knew that. She thought back to when Axel had appeared before her on the beach and she charged into the portal, just to find Sora. She remembered going into battle without a single weapon, just to make sure Sora was safe. She risked her life for him, just like he had done for her.

And with that, Kairi found new courage. It wasn't hard to find her reason, and it ignited her fighting flame bright. She slashed and swiped, and even dodge rolled a few times. She found herself bringing her Keyblade forward, aiming it, and concentration. First, her chest felt warm, then her arms, and finally her hands. Her Keyblade heated up and she knew it was ready.

"Fira!"

The fireball emerged from the tip of _Roaring Petal _and pierced right through a jumping NeoShadow, going through to smack another right in the face. Kairi gave herself a mental pat on the back for that one.

_Way To Dawn _entered the head of a NeoShadow and Riku tore it to the right, ripping through the Heartless' head. He planted his left foot and pushed back, throwing himself at a few more NeoShadows. He spun in the air and rotated his Keyblade rapidly around his fingers, cutting several down as they jumped for him. He hacked and slashed the rest in front of him. Turning sharp, he caught sight of an airborne NeoShadow in his peripheral.

"Not so fast." His left hand went up fast and he caught the NeoShadow by its head, bringing it down into the ground fast so that it would stun it. "Dark Firaga!" The purplish blue flame emerged from his hand and practically blasted the NeoShadow into pieces.

The battle seemed to go smoothly, with no other problems, aside from Kairi's self-doubt. Rebecca displayed a wild side that seemed to be fueled by the need to have fun than to actually win the battle. Kairi pushed her sword skills and spells to their limits, even though there was no need to. Riku began to ease up on his fighting, just to reserve strength. He knew that anyone could ambush them if they had the chance. And Sora found the inner need to show-off to Kairi, throwing his Keyblade in a couple of Strike Raids and using Explosion to take out several NeoShadows surrounding him.

The battle ended with, "Did you see that, Kairi?"

Kairi giggled at the spiky haired brunette. "Yes Sora, I saw it. You're really good."

Sora forced his chest out. "I'm better than good. I'm the best!"

"I can beat you." Riku said with a laugh. "What does that make me?"

"Hey! What the heck is that supposed to mean?" Sora snapped, to which Riku just laughed in return.

Rebecca just had to smile. Partially because Riku and Sora were so entertaining, but also because she was sure that she kicked some "serious booty" back there. She knew Jason would of been proud of her, if only he'd seen it.

Lowering her shield, Rebecca glanced up to the top of one of the shops. There, a misshaped figure seemed to be watching. It was hard to make out and it vanished so fast that Rebecca wasn't even sure she saw it.

"I've seen you take out Heartless a lot faster than that, Sora." Sora turned at the voice to see Leon clapping his hands. He was dressed in his usual black pants, black zipper shoes, black gloves and black coat, with a white undershirt and his Griever necklace around his neck. Hanging at his side was his trusty weapon, the Gunblade.

"Leon!" Sora grinned and headed over to his friend. "Well, we were kind of using them as a training match."

"You managed to get a few scrapes. You're getting careless." Leon pointed to Sora's arm, where there was a small scratch.

"Oh thats nothing." Sora shrugged it off as Riku, Kairi and Rebecca came over. "These are my friends that I was telling you about. Riku and Kairi. And this is-"

"Rebecca, I know." Rebecca smiled at the Restoration Committee leader. He turned to Kairi. "You're Kairi, huh? Princess of Radiant Garden."

Kairi nodded and felt something tug at her insides. She had forgotten she was a Princess of heart from this world, which was her first home before Destiny Islands. It made her feel like she should of been here, supporting those that fought to save this world. This was her home as well, she should be here to help them.

Leon gave her a reassured smile and looked over at Riku. "And you're Riku, the boy Sora searched high and low for."

Riku nodded. "Its a pleasure to meet you, Squall. I've heard a lot about you from Sora."

Leon flinched at his first name. "Please, just call me Leon. I hope Sora doesn't speak ill of me."

"Course not, Leon!" Sora grinned sheepishly.

Leon folded his arms and sighed as he grew serious. "We were expecting you all yesterday. Still, you made it. We can tell you about everything once we get back to Merlin's. C'mon."

"Wait, Mr. Leon." Rebecca raised her hand as if she were in a classroom, which got Leon's attention. "I...saw something a moment ago, I think. Up there." She pointed to the rooftops where she had seen the creature. Leon stared in that direction for a moment.

"One of _them_."

"_Them_?" Kairi asked.

"One of those creatures we were told about?" Sora asked.

Leon gave a nod. "Yeah, we'll explain what we can back at the house. So come on, Cid's waiting with Aerith and Merlin."

"Yuffie's not there?"

Leon shook his head as he started toward Merlin's. "Fortunately, she's out patroling."

Leon led the four out of the Marketplace and into the Borough, where Merlin's shabby little house was located. Though it didn't look like much, it served as the primary base for the Restoration Committee. The door was already flung open and Scrooge was heading toward the heroes with his nephews. Leon told him that it was safe, for now, and if anything else happened they could come back.

Sora was the first to enter Merlin's house, a goofy smile plastered on his face. "Hey everyone!"

Aerith, wearing her usual carmine pink and white top with her pink dress underneath, greeted the gang with her usual gentle smile. Cid spun around in his chair, wearing his usual white shirt, orange waist band, and blue baggy pants. He removed the tooth pick from his mouth and grinned. His goggles still sat on his forehead, just below his bright blond hair.

"Well, look who it is: Hero of Radiant Garden in the flesh." He said.

Aerith approached the group. "Welcome back, Sora." She took the time to look between Kairi and Riku. "And these must be the friends you were searching for."

Sora nodded. "Yeah. This is Riku, and thats Kairi."

The two waved respectively.

"And I've already met little Rebecca." Aerith smiled at the youngest of the group, who smiled right back. "I'm Aerith. Thats Cid at the computer."

"Oh, splendid!" The voice came from the far side of the room, where Merlin came into sight. He held a book in one hand and a wand in the other. He walked over, stroking his abnormally long beard. "You made it! I was beginning to think something bad had happened."

"Erm...well, we-" Sora rubbed the back of his head.

"We would of been here sooner, but we had some problems on the ship." Rebecca said, interrupting the Keybearer. "Sora problems."

Merlin laughed. "He never was any good with piloting Gummi Ships."

"I'm right here!" Sora blurted out.

"Ah, yes. Riku, Kairi, we've heard a lot about you." The sorcerer nodded to the two. "My name is Merlin, great and powerful wiz-"

Leon closed the door. "Merlin, how about we just explain whats been going on?"

"Yes, right! The Heartless-"

"You mean the Nobodies?" Aerith corrected.

"No, I'm quite sure they were Heartless." Merlin countered, trying to remember.

"King Mickey told us that no one was sure what _they _were." Riku spoke up.

"Thats right." Leon leaned back against the door and folded his arms. "I believe what Rebecca saw was one of those creatures."

"Did it have wings? A tail maybe?" Aerith asked. Rebecca could only shrug.

"I don't know," She replied. "I didn't really get a good look at it."

"I thought they were a problem." Kairi said, a bit of confusion in her voice. "We only saw Heartless. If Rebecca did see something, why didn't it attack us?"

Leon shrugged. "Not sure. The strange thing is: they tend to appear whenever Heartless appear. And while we deal with the Heartless, those creatures just sit by and watch us. They haven't attacked lately, but they have been known to."

"They just watch you guys?" Sora put on his thinking face, but it wasn't doing him any good. "That's...really weird."

"Its almost as if they were watching and waiting." Aerith pointed out.

"Waiting on what? Thats the question." Riku replied. "When did they start showing up?"

"Few months ago." Cid answered. "Outta nowhere too! Right after those men stopped by."

"What men?" Sora asked.

"Now that you think of it, it is strange..." Aerith said looking back at Cid. "I had forgotten all about them."

Sora exchanged glances with his friends. "Wait, what men?"

Leon shifted his feet, crossing one over the other. "A few months ago, a couple of guys stopped by. They looked like generals or something." He closed his eyes. "They didn't ask for anything and told us they were visiting. Being as how Radiant Garden has pretty much been quiet after your last visit, we assumed they were telling the truth."

"So they brought those things here?" Rebecca asked. "If those creatures suddenly started appearing after those men left, they had to be the ones to bring them here!"

"I agree with Rebecca, it has to be them." Kairi added.

"Even if it is, we don't know where those men are now. We can only take a look around and see whats bringing those creatures here." Riku implied.

Sora gave a nod of his head. "Maybe they share a connection with the Heartless and the Nobodies. If that's the case, we might be able to find something in Ansem's Study."

"Ansem's Study?" Riku had only heard of the place from the King, he had never been there. "Seems like the best place to look right now."

"Good." Leon went for the door handle. "I'll head back to the Marketplace, see if I can see where that _thing _has gone. You remember the way, right Sora?"

"Yeah, I remember." Sora said as Leon opened the door for them. "We'll let you know what we find."

With that, Sora, Riku, Kairi and Rebecca left Merlin's house and headed for the bailey.

* * *

The trip to the castle, Hollow Bastion, was filled with theories and hypothesise on what the mysterious creatures were. Sora was now quite confident that they were possibly a third generation creature just coming into light, much like the Nobodies after the Heartless. Riku kept his mind clear of that, not ready to truly focus on a single theory. Rebecca and Kairi sort of agreed that they were probably a new kind of Heartless or Nobody; they only hoped it was not a totally new threat.

Upon reaching the castle gates, Kairi found the place to be a bit nostalgic. She wasn't quite sure why, but she knew she had been there before. In fact, she knew she had been there before, she was the princess of this world after all.

They passed the postern, traveled through the corridors with only three altercations with the Heartless, and made it to Ansem's Study. The place looked just like it had before; destroyed. Broken glass lay on the floor, papers lay across the desk, boards filled with notes hung on the walls, and the DTD was still written on the wall nearly Xehanort's picture.

"This is Ansem's Study?" Riku asked, somewhat disappointed. "I thought Ansem the Wise would try to at least keep it clean."

"It was probably Xemnas who trashed the place." Sora said after some thought. While the others looked around, Sora went over to the left wall and placed his hand against it. The wall lit up and then vanished, revealing a hidden passage.

"Cool." Rebecca ran into the passage without hesitation and peered over the edge, down at the Heartless Manufacturer. "So this is what the King was talking about. This is where the Heartless were made!"

"Yeah," Sora nodded and kept walking until he reached the computer. He typed in a few commands and a password bar came up.

"I suppose you don't know the password." Riku came in, still looking the place over. Kairi and Rebecca followed.

"I do." Sora said with a smile. "Sora. Donald. Goofy."

The screen lit up. _"Welcome Users"_

"Hey Tron, its me. Sora."

Kairi shook her head. She knew Sora wasn't very bright when it came to computers, but she thought he at least knew not to give the computer a name and pretend to know it. She slapped her forehead.

_"Sora, my friend!" _Tron's voice rang out happily. _"It certainly is a surprise to hear from you. I was told that you had returned home. I calculated there was a slim chance I'd see you again."_

Kairi's eyes widened. "The computer actually has a personality?"

Sora laughed. "Yeah, Kairi. This can't be the weirdest thing you've seen."

"Yeah...thats true."

The spiky-haired Keybearer turned back to the screen. "Tron, we're friends. We were bound to meet again someday."

_"Yes, it was either, how do you say, sooner or later. I'm happy that it is the latter."_

"Sora," Riku got his friend's attention. "Ask him about the creatures in town."

"Oh right!" Sora gazed up at the screen. "Tron, we need to know about those creatures that started appearing in town a few months ago. Any information would be good."

_"I'm sorry, Sora. I've scanned all of my user's files and I found nothing describing the beings in town. I'm sorry."_

Rebecca lowered her head in defeat. "Aww! Just when things were getting hopeful!"

Riku gave a bitter laugh to that. "Things won't come to us this easily." He sighed. "I have a strange feeling that we're gonna be working this problem for a long time."

"Well, what do we do now?" Kairi questioned. "If Ansem doesn't know anything about this, where do we go from here?"

"The Land of Dragons." Sora answered as he turned around. "Thats where the other report came from. So, thats where we'll head to next. We're bound to find some answers there."

Though Riku wasn't so sure about that, Rebecca let out a hopeful cheer and Kairi could only agree with Sora. It wasn't good to feel doubtful at a time like this.

"Yeah! You're right, Sora!" Rebecca grinned. "Lets hurry!"

"Right. Tron, thanks anyway! I'll be back to see you soon!" Sora said as he waved to the computer and left with the others.

_"If I stumble upon anything, I'll be sure to let the other users know."_

Sora and the gang retreated back out of Ansem's Study and through the corridors, coming out at the lower side of the postern. With the four being in deep conversation about the creatures, they failed to notice something flying over head. A loud screech sounded as the creature neared them. Riku was the first to react.

"Get down!" He demanded. Everyone dropped just as the winged creature flew over them. "What was that!"

Sora pushed himself up. "C'mon, after it!" He ran around the edge of the postern before coming to the opening. There, hovering in the air, was a creature he had never seen.

The creature had large bat wings where its arms should of been, and the lower half of a monkey. Sharp talons clawed at the air under its feet and its silver green eyes seemed to hold such hatred and anger that Sora, himself, felt as if the creature hated him personally. Its face seemed to be a cross between a bat and a chimp, which wasn't very pretty. Its whole body was a tea green color, which almost made it seem like a Nobody.

"What _is _that!" Kairi shouted as she came to a sudden stop. The creature opened its mouth, its sharp teeth coming into view. It let out a screech which was more of an annoyance than anything.

Swinging his arm through the air, Sora brought his _Kingdom Key_ to his hand. "A Nobody?"

"No, its that thing I saw before!" Rebecca said as she thought back to the battle. "I saw it when we first got here!"

"One of the creatures the King told us about." Riku implied.

The creature cried out once again and then flapped its wings, sending itself toward the heroes. Sora, whom already has his Keyblade ready, jumped into action and tried to bat the creature away. Unfortunately, the creature's target was him, its talons poised to attack, so Sora had to block with the _Kingdom Key_. He took a step forward and sent it back, where it flew into the air.

Behind him, Riku was instructing Kairi and Rebecca to safety. The winged being let out another cry and flew down towards Sora. The Keybearer pushed off his left foot and dove to the right, rolling as the creature passed by him. It wasn't very fast, but it kept its talons poised and he couldn't make a mistake of not taking the creature seriously.

The creature turned and came around for a return trip, but Sora thought it was best to stop it. He spun on his heel and pointed his Keyblade into the air.

"Thundaga!" The lightning spell shot down from above and hit the creature, causing it to stop in mid-air, its body going through shock. Sora lunged and attacked in a variety of swings, which ultimately put the creature on the ground. It dissolved into a silver mist and then it was gone. Sora lowered his Keyblade and sighed. It was a rather easy battle, but he was sure it would of been a bit tougher if there were more.

Riku and Kairi came over with Rebecca leading them. But before any of them could congratulate the Keybearer or say anything about how strange the creature was, the sound of clapping stopped them. The heroes turned around at the sound and found themselves staring at a man in a tan trench coat, brown slacks tucked into his black boots, and a golden chain mail. His slick brown hair and thin mustache gave away his identity.

"Colonel Mandero." Riku muttered loud enough for everyone to hear.

Mandero nodded, though he didn't seem very happy that he was remembered. "You Keyblade Wielders are hard to track down, that's for sure."

"You're the guy from the beach!" Sora exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

"Well," The man sighed and scratched his head. He really didn't want to be here. "If you remember, I have orders I have to follow. I have to bring you three back with me, even if it means by force."

"Bring us where, exactly?" Riku asked, raising one of his eyebrows in question.

"Come quietly and you'll find out. Its a pretty nice place." Mandero held out a hand, as if he wanted them to take it. "C'mon, I'd rather not fight."

Riku and Kairi brandished their Keyblades. "Yeah, well you're going to have to take us by force!" Kairi shouted, just as Rebecca brought her shield in front of her.

"Oh dear," Mandero placed his fingers on the bridge of his nose and sighed. "Please, just consider it. I'd rather bring you three back in one piece."

"We're not considering anything!" Rebecca cried out angrily.

The Colonel cocked his head. "No one's talking to you, squirt. I'd hate to have to discipline a kid."

"Why don't you just get out of here!" Sora demanded. "And tell who ever your boss is that he can come for us himself!"

"You really...really don't want that." Mandero sighed once again.

Suddenly, more of the strange creatures appeared in the air, hovering around the postern. They cried out and screamed, their eyes focused on all of those below.

Riku drew up his blade into an attacking position. "Its those creatures again."

"The DeVoid."

"What?" Kairi questioned as she turned to cover the rear.

"They're called the DeVoid." Mandero looked up to one. "I've never seen one in person before."

"The DeVoid?" Sora kept his guard up as he looked at the Soaring Imps around them.

Kairi glared back at Mandero. "What are they?"

"I don't quite know myself, but they don't look happy." Mandero frowned; he was going to get caught up in another mess.

"Obviously."

Mandero gave another shrug. "This is about to get out of hand...again." He said, more to himself than to the others. And with a sharp cry, the Flying Imps burst to life.

Sora and the others backed toward one another. The Keyblade's chosen brought his Keyblade forward. "Reflect!" The spell formed and bounced the Soaring Imps away. When the shield shattered, the four dove toward their new enemies. Sora closed the gap between himself and two of the creatures in one stride, hitting them quickly with fast blows. Unfortunately, his efforts did nothing to get rid of them and seemed to make them more irritated. Letting out several more screeches, the two Sora was busy with charged him one after another. Dodging the first was easy, but the second managed to claw him in his shoulder and send him rolling back. Sora only rebounded himself and prepared for another attack. Just like he thought, the Soaring Imps were going to be troublesome in groups.

While Sora had taken two for himself, three Soaring Imps had taken on Riku. They circled him, each taking a turn to swoop down and try their best to claw at Riku's head. It was practically a stalemate; they were not going to be able to hit Riku attacking one by one, and Riku could not take the chance of attacking when the others attacked right after. Still, sitting and doing nothing was not Riku's style.

As the three Soaring Imps began to replay their tactic, one of them coming out of the air to attack, Riku stepped forward in a spin. He avoided the Soaring Imp's claws and slammed the butt of his Keyblade into the DeVoid's back. That made it screech and flutter down to the ground, where it dealt with the pain. The others moved in once their brethren had been hit, but Riku was ready. _Way To Dawn _came forward in a quick slash, batting one of the remaining Soaring Imps into the other, which knocked both out of the air. Riku turned his attention to the first downed one, pointing his hand to fire a Dark Firaga before it could get back into the air. While it let out a painful screech from the burn, he charged and stabbed it through the back, forcing it to dissolve into a silvery mist.

"That leaves two more..." Riku said aloud to himself, ducking down to dodge one of the Soaring Imps. He knew these last two weren't going to be as easy. They were testing him, using their own brethren as a decoy.

Kairi felt her Keyblade heat up and a fireball emerged from its tip. The Soaring Imp dodged easily and dove toward her, forcing the princess to jump to the ground in order to dodge it's talons. She scrambled back to her feet just in time to block the Soaring Imp's next attack, which almost knocked her off of her feet. It screamed right in her face, causing her to wince at it's sharp voice. It broke away from Kairi's Keyblade and flew back into the air, in order to gather up speed for it's next attack. Kairi felt the heat in her chest began to burn as the Soaring Imp went for its return trip, where the princess dodged much easily this time. While it's back was turn, she turned and fired another Fira spell, which hit the creature's back. Kairi lunged at it quickly.

Rebecca had resorted to defense only by now. With her large shield, she didn't need to dodge the two Soaring Imps she had to deal with, only block. And with such an opprotunity, she knew she should use it to at least admire the looks of the creature, try to understand exactly what a DeVoid was. So far, she had learned that the Soaring Imps attacking with their talons out. Sometimes, if there was no distance, they would attack with their teeth, which was just as bad. They were fairly fast, but dodgable, and their talons were their primary weapon. When dealing with multiple Soaring Imps, timing was key since they worked together to attack.

_Clang!_

Rebecca was pushed back by the first Soaring Imp attacking. She locked onto the second, which was beginning its descent to attack. The first had its back turned for now, so it would not be able to assist its comrade. Rebecca was given the perfect chance, and she was about to take it.

She stepped forward, grabbing the left side of her shield with both hands. Holding it to her right, she took a jumping step, right toward her target, and swung the shield just like a bat, bypassing the claws.

_BAM!_

The Soaring Imp flew out of the air and crashed into the ground, while Rebecca returned to the ground with a triumphant smile. Another screech brought her back to the battle; she had forgotten about the first so quickly. She turned to confront it, but it was already too close to do anything. Just when things looked grim, a large shuriken cut it right in half and zipped right by, cleaving the head off of the Soaring Imp that Rebecca had beat to the ground. The shuriken turned in the air and flew to the edge of the postern, where Yuffie caught it. She was sporting her usual ninja gear, all black, with a goofy grin plastered on her face.

"That was a close one!" She said with a laugh.

"Yuffie!" Sora exclaimed, deflecting one of the two Soaring Imps away.

Yuffie flipped across the field, sending her large shuriken out in mid-flip. It darted through the air and hit yet another one of the Soaring Imps, before catching it upon landing. Now there were only four Soaring Imps left, the two Sora and Riku were fighting against.

Sora retreated to a safe distance and charged up a Thundaga spell, which managed to hit both of the Soaring Imps. Once the spell had stopped them in mid-air, Sora lunged at the closest one and pounded on it with various swings, before it fell to the ground and dispersed. The other Soaring Imp had shaken the shock off and was going for Sora's backside, but Sora was ready. Calling a Reflect spell, the Soaring Imp was thrown back in a daze, like it had before. The Keyblade's Chosen then followed it up with a Strike Raid, the Keyblade managing to hit it's mark right between the creature's eyes. It burst into a silvery mist and Sora's Keyblade returned to his hand, just as Riku finished up the final Soaring Imp.

"Thanks a lot, Yuffie!" Sora called as he dismissed his weapon. He headed over with Riku.

Yuffie lowered her large shuriken and grinned. "Not a problem at all! You guys looked like you needed a little help with those things. Its strange they attacked you like that though."

"That Mandero guy ordered them to attack us."

"Speaking of that guy, where is he?" Kairi asked, which resulted in everyone taking a look around.

"Probably decided to sneak away while he left those DeVoid to take care of us." Riku proposed.

Yuffie tilted her head. "..De..Void?"

"Those creatures." Sora answered rather quickly. "Yuffie, we have to get going. We have to tell Jason what happened and see if we can't figure out what's going on."

"I can do that. You'll come back, right?" Yuffie asked. "We'll need to know what's going on too."

Sora nodded. "Yeah. We'll let you know as soon as we do."

"Wait, where are we going?" Rebecca asked. "We don't have a destination."

"Yes we do." Sora said, as he headed off to have Jason teleport them up. "We're going to the Land of Dragons."

**Zemblar Mining Cave...**

"Outside light!"

"It's the end of the tunnel."

"Wait, you're never supposed to run to the light at the end of the tunnel!"

Ravu rolled her eyes and slapped Brandon on the back of the head. "We're not dead, you idiot."

"Fooled me." Greg was the first to reach the outside of the mining shaft, his eyes nearly closing as the sun's rays hit his face. He raised one of his arms to try and ease the light on his eyes. "Finally, we're out."

Leah, being the last one out, was staring at the map. She glanced up after a few moments. "Late afternoon? It shouldn't of taken us this long."

"How long were we in there?" Tami questioned. "Seems like forever."

"A day, at the most." Opalaisha answered, as she walked a little further.

"No thanks to Mr. Scott here..." Ravu murmured.

Brandon jumped back in surprise. "Me? It isn't my fault! You tried to take the lead, so that makes it your fault!"

"Oh! My fault! You and Greg were the two who thought they could get us to the end without a map in the first place!" Ravu retorted.

"Hey, don't put me in this!" Greg butted in. "You and Leah are the ones who thought bossing us around was gonna work! Who walks in a single-file line, trying to hold hands?"

"Psss...Greg...that was my hand." Brandon admitted in a whisper. "I was kinda scared..."

"Look, let's not argue about this." Leah started up. "We made it through safe-"

"STAY OUT OF THIS!" The three arguers shouted at Leah, cutting her off. Leah's eyebrow began to twitch with anger.

"What did-"

"Oh no, just come on." Tami grabbed Leah by the arm and pulled her along. "Let them duke it out. It happens all the time." She stopped once she reached Opalaisha, who had descended down a small slope. "So, we're in..."

"The town of Angril." Leah said, looking at the map again.

Opalaisha nodded. "Yeah, the port city overlooking Lake Avalon."

The ground suddenly shook and Greg came soaring by the three girls, face-planting into the ground. "...Ow.."

"AHHH! HOT! HOT!" Brandon darted by, his hands patting his butt in an attempt to put out the flames.

Leah glanced back to see Ravu smiling triumphantly. "They admitted that it was their fault." She said with a wide grin.

Greg raised his head from the ground, spitting out dirt. "We didn't admit anything!"

"WHAT?" Ravu roared. Greg jumped to his feet just in time; a Fire Spell crashed right into the ground where he had landed. The boy stuck out his tongue and then ran off to catch up with Brandon.

Tami, Leah and Opalaisha only shook their heads as Ravu sprinted by them in hot pursuit. The blonde then laughed. "You get used to it after a while."

The town of Angril was not a very large town, but one would argue due to the size of it's port. Ships would come from all over to transport goods back and forth. The lake that it overlooked, Avalon, was immensely large and could be confused with an ocean at first glance. It was connected to the grand sea in the south, which was how the ships entered and departed from Lake Avalon. Lying in the middle of the lake was the Island of Avalon, which marked the halfway mark to the royal city of Rambosa.

As Leah, Tami and Opalaisha entered the town, they could see Ravu yelling at Greg, while Brandon tried to soak his butt in the water without falling in completely. It was a funny scene to behold and laughter was soon coming from the three as they neared Greg, Ravu and Brandon.

Brandon scowled. "Not funny, man. I think I got a third degree burn on my butt." He pointed it at Ravu. "Kiss it and make it better, please?"

Ravu was only growing angrier, which was becoming evident to the group. It was Tami who stopped the pyromaniac from burning the rest of Brandon's lower torso; she stepped in and came up with a pitiful excuse to spare the boy...for now.

"Alright Tami, but just this once." Ravu had folded her arms across her chest, her anger leaving her fiery eyes. "But next time," She pointed her thumb across her neck and moved it from side to side, making a slicing sound to make it more dramatic. "He's gonna get _burned_."

Brandon gulped, he didn't like the way she said the word. "Won't happen again, Ravu!"

"Alright, alright. Enough with that." Greg began as he looked toward the lake. "First we need to find a boat, go to Avalon, then cross it and get to Tran-Titch Town on the other side."

"Triple T Town." Tami commented.

"Why don't we just take one boat all the way across?" Opalaisha asked, thinking it would save them more time.

Ravu glanced her way. "Doesn't work that way, as stupid as it sounds. You must go from Angril through Avalon, and then to Tran-Titch Town. Don't ask me why, because I personally think it's stupid."

"That is stupid." Leah added.

"Couldn't agree more." Greg said as they made their way toward one of the ships. From what he could see, none seemed to look like they were "Transporting" ships; ships that would take them across the lake to Avalon. "Looks like we'll have to look around."

"Let's not take too long." Leah said, walking at his side. "Those Rambosan goons could be right behind us."

"Point taken."

As the group began their treasure hunt for a boat that would get them across, the sun was lowering itself in the sky. It's golden rays lit up the lake water, making it shimmer and sparkle with beauty. Most of the group found themselves looking at it, instead of looking for a boat. Tami had stopped to stare at it for a moment; she actually got lost in her thoughts before Greg yelled for her to hurry up.

"The lake is that hypnotizing, Tami?" Ravu asked with a sly grin. "More hypnotizing than-"

Tami threw the girl a glare. "Shut up, Ravu." She hissed out.

"I don't blame her, look at it. It's gorgeous." Greg commented, oblivious to what the two girls were referring to.

"You know," Opalaisha passed a look to the lake. "There's an old story about Lake Avalon, a legend I guess you would say."

"Legend? I ain't never heard of no legend." Brandon said, trying hard to think back. "Or have I?"

"I have. I forgot where from though." Tami spoke up, her memory replaying how the story played. "If I remember correctly, it's more like a rumor that says there is a shrine at the bottom of Lake Avalon, somewhere."

"A shrine?" Greg asked, curious. The others were just as curious as he was, if not more.

Brandon was quick to ask another question. "Why'd they build a shrine underwater?"

Tami shook her head. "It wasn't always like that, Brandon. Like I said, this is all just a rumor, I'm not sure if it's true or not. But anyway, there was once a city built here, but it was destroyed or something. The only thing left was the shrine."

"Destroyed?" Now Leah was interested. "There's no sign of anything other than Avalon, how was it destroyed?"

Tami shrugged. "I don't know, probably by the war."

"War?" Brandon was definitely into the story now, he was walking backwards just to see Tami's expressions. "What war?"

"Between the Heilig, the family that occupied the city, and another race. But the war took place on some other world, not here." Tami explained. "Somehow, they ended up here and this is where they settled. The only reason I can think the city fell was that their enemies followed them and pushed them into extinction."

Brandon was quiet for a moment before saying, "So if I swim to the bottom, I can find some old shrine which probably holds ancient secrets?"

"If you look past the fact that it's a rumor, yeah." Leah commented. "Go right on ahead, dive right in." Her words were drenched in sarcasm.

"Don't do that just yet," Ravu nodded to the boat they were coming up on. "That's our ride."

The boat Ravu was referring to looked simply like a modern day tugboat, only more updated with the time. Although, it looked as though it had a bit more speed behind it's bulky exterior than most. The captain, who was standing outside of the ship on the dock, was an old senile-looking man with a cigarette in his mouth and his sailor cap flopped on his head.

"Seriously? This piece of crap." Greg said with a confused gaze.

"Hey, the guy looks like he's ready to set off on the open sea, he looks to be our best bet." Ravu said as she walked onto the dock and up to the old man. "Excuse me, sir. We-"

"Want a ride across the lake, right?" The old man said, after removing his cigarette and flicking the ash into the lake water below. He turned, his beady eyes examining Ravu and then the others behind her. "Ya'll together?"

Ravu glanced back and made eye contact with those behind, mentally counting all present. She turned back and gave a nod. "Yeah, all of us."

The man nodded to them and flicked the cigarette out into the water. "Fine. Name's Buck Wreckshire."

"Ravu Hiraki, sir." She pointed back at her friends. "Brandon, Leah, Greg, Tami and Opalaisha."

"Pleasure." Buck nodded as he adjusted his hat and boarded his ship. "Get on. All of ya."

Ravu led the group onto the ship and they all found spots to sit on the lower level, while Captain Buck went up to the bridge. The ship was quick to rumble to life, a siren blaring to announce the ship shipping off. It did not take long before the group of youngsters were watching the port of Angril fall farther and farther into the background. It was a relief to them that no Rambosan Knights had caught up or were in town when they were. At least, that's what they believed was the case; either that or they were just really lucky to be avoiding them.

"So what's your plan, Opalaisha?" Brandon was the one who asked the question, looking across at her. The young tan skinned female cast a questioning gaze at him. "I mean, you're coming along with us, right?"

Opalaisha looked out at the water. "Well...I have no business traveling with you all. I was going to go-"

"I think it's best you stay with us, now." Ravu interrupted her, making Opalaisha look her way. The other blue-haired female closed her fiery orange eyes. "You made a stand against a Rambosan officer. That, alone, puts you on their Wanted List. And you have blue hair, which not many people have, they'll be searching high and low for you."

"Ravu's right. It'd be wise for you to just stick with us." Leah added. "They'll be coming after your for helping us."

"I can simply go into hiding." Opalaisha countered.

Greg shook his head. "For a bit, yeah. But the King of Rambosa has an iron fist on this entire planet; they'd find you, eventually. You're better off with us." He shifted to a more comfortable position; leaning forward and staring right into her eyes. "Opalaisha...thank you, sincerely. You've been a major help to all of us, and I'm sorry we got you mixed up in all of this."

Opalaisha blinked as she stared at those she had met just recently. "It's quite alright. I didn't mind lending a hand. Besides," She paused and gave a small smile. "I don't mind standing up to this world's government if it's a troubling as it seems."

"You have no idea." Greg pushed himself up into a standing position after that. "I'm gonna go speak with the captain. The least we can do is get to know him." He said, heading toward the bridge. He paused and glanced back at Opalaisha. "And really, Opalaisha, thank you." He received a nod and continued onward to the bridge.

Brandon yawned. "I can't wait to get into one of those nice beds on Avalon Island." He stretched his arms and smiled.

"Wrong. There won't be sleeping on Avalon." Leah's words made Brandon frown almost instantly. "Do you ever try to think about what the enemy is thinking? About what moves would be obvious for them?"

The boy blinked. "...No."

Leah shook her head and gave a tired sigh, while Ravu smacked her forehead. "Thought so."

"Brandon, we can't stop on the island and rest. They're going to be expecting us to do that, if we haven't rested already." Ravu began. "I'm surprised we haven't ran into any soldiers yet."

"Let's not push our luck." Leah added.

Greg could smell cigarette smoke as he came into the bridge, where Buck was steering the ship. He opened the door and leaned against the door frame, folding his arms. "Hey, thanks a lot for this. For a minute, I wasn't sure we would be able to find a way across other than swimming."

Buck puffed on his cigarette, blowing out a cloud of smoke. "Don't mention it. I know what it's like to be a youngster who needs a hand sometimes; I was in the same boat ma'self." He said. "Ya'll travelin' on foot? Where ya headed?"

"Yeah. We're going to Rambosa on foot." Greg told him. "We've got...business there."

"I won't dig no further into ya business." Buck said, putting the cigarette back into his mouth. "Where ya comin' from?"

Greg laughed, knowing just how crazy it was going to sound. "Ragnias City, sir."

Buck blew out some smoke in surprise, almost coughing. He removed it to talk. "You say you're walkin'? Ya'll must be nuts. Must be some important business."

"Something like that." Greg turned to place his back against the door frame. "It's important that we get there immediately."

"Then ought to be ridin' in somethin', not walkin'." Buck replied. "One of those land rover things, anythin' really." He began to chuckle. "Hell, flyin' probably the best route to take."

"Flying? Yeah, it sure beats walking. Anything other than walking beats walking." Greg admitted, before deciding to return some of the questions. "What about yourself, Mr. Wreckshire?"

"Oh I'm not headed anywhere, just out on the lake today." Buck said, blowing out a stream of smoke. "I'm an architect. An aerodynamic architect."

"Aerodynamic? So you actually build planes? Ships?" Greg asked.

"Somethin' like that." Buck returned, puffing some more on his cigarette. "Small lil' toys and such. Nothing too interestin'."

Greg thought for a moment how it would be to have a flying ship of his own. It would be pretty cool to have something like that in his name. He grinned to himself at the fun thought.

"Maybe you could let me see one next time we meet." Greg said with a laugh as he turned to go back to the others.

"Sure thing, kid."

* * *

Agent Engel sat quietly in a meeting room, staring out the window at the obsidian-black shores that met with Lake Avalon's water. The Island of Avalon was unique because of it's shores, which were black instead of the typical sandy brown. How? No one really knew, but it made Avalon popular among the world of Farplex. Whenever night fell on the Island of Avalon, the moon's rays would reflect off of the black grains of sand and give the shore a gleaming shine.

The Island of Avalon was truly a marvel to see. But tonight, it was different; Rambosan soldiers waltzed around on patrol outside. They passed through Agent Engel's line of sight outside of the window several times. She had been moved to Avalon yesterday, in preparation for the arrival of the Keyblade Wielders. She guessed that General Blazer anticipated that neither Ganboia nor Semaria would be able to stop the Keyblade Wielders and their group of friends. Instead of having Agent Engel waste her time in Zemblar or Angril Town, the General thought it best to pair Engel up with an officer of a higher rank and have them ambush the Keyblade Wielders on the Island of Avalon.

Reports had told the Rambosan squadron on Avalon that their targets had gained an ally at some point, another blue haired female. Agent Engel didn't by it for a second; it had to be an impersonator. And what was worse was that General Blazer was right, Ganboia had failed again at apprehending those troublesome Keyblade Wielders. That only made Engel angrier.

"Cocky asshole." Engel murmured to herself as she thought of the Lieutenant Colonel, as she rubbed her chest.

Engel's wound had healed quite nicely thanks to her own skills over the Cure spell. But it ached whenever she thought of the boy who had given it to her. Something did not sit right about that boy; no kid, no normal kid, should of been able to use a General-level technique with such ease. Better yet, no normal kid should of been able to use that kind of technique! He had to be hiding something; Engel refused to believe that the wound she was given was just by luck on the boy's behalf.

"Agent Engel," Engel failed to notice the Rambosan soldier come to her side, but his words grabbed her attention almost instantly and made her cast a glare towards him. "The Colonel wishes to see you for a brief overview of what is to come, ma'am."

Engel bit her lip with a bit of frustration. The Colonel was probably going to do nothing but bark more orders at her, orders she felt she didn't have to follow. Still, Engel got up with a nod. "Fine."

The Keyblade Wielder headed out of the room and towards the Colonel's temporary office. All the while, she thought of what kind of orders she'd have to follow. Not to mention that she hated the Colonel she had been designed to work with; no other Colonel was as serious as the one General Blazer had paired her with.

The door to the Colonel's room was already ajar, so all Engel did was push it open with a nudge of her foot. She pocketed her hands into her ice blue Capris as she stepped inside. "Colonel, you wanted to see me?"

Three characters stood within the room; two Rambosan soldiers and an enigma donning a lustrous suit of white armor. The enigma was obviously the Colonel, she was well known for wearing a suit of armor that defied the traditional colors of Rambosa.

"Agent Engel, come in." The Colonel waved her hand and dismissed the two soldiers in front of her. She waited for them to close the door to continue. "The Keyblade Wielders are to be arriving here shortly, as you know. I want you to keep an eye on them, but make sure you stay out of sight. Allow them to rest, if needed. The other soldiers will be dressed in civilian clothes to give them the impression that we haven't caught up to their trail yet."

Engel gave a nod of her head. "Understood, ma'am. But if you don't mind me asking," She narrowed her eyes in seriousness. "Just what will you be doing? Sitting here?"

Despite being ordered to follow the Colonel's orders, by no means was she frightened of her. She wasn't scared of anyone save a few. And this Colonel, the well known White Flicker, was no exception. Engel was the King's prodigy; there was no one that would ever frighten her...

The Colonel moved to pick up one of the documents on the desk, lifting it in front of her and looking over it. "I will be guarding the docks, since those Keyblade Wielders are bound to make it through whatever defense you plan on putting up. I'll be at the docks, waiting to correct yet another one of your mistakes, Agent Engel."

Engel glared and gritted her teeth together. "Just who do-"

"That will be all, Agent Engel. Please, leave me be. I'm sure you have a lot of work to do." The Colonel said. But Engel didn't move, she stayed and held her glare. The Colonel lifted her head. "You have something you want to add, Agent Engel?"

"Yeah, I do." Engel slammed her hands on the desk. "Let's get one thing straight, you're not the boss of me and I'm not scared of you like these other soldiers are. If you think you can boss me ar-"

"Agent Engel, watch who you're talking to." The Colonel interrupted Engel by standing up. "By orders of General Blazer, you ARE under my command, which means you have to follow my orders. To me, it doesn't matter what you do or not, but do not screw yet another assignment up. I don't have time for you and your foolish pride issues. The King may like you, but I don't. Raise your voice at me or go against my orders so far as to get in my way, and I'll kill you myself and tell my commanding officers you fell in battle. Now, do I make myself clear?"

Engel kept her glare. She opened her mouth to respond, but the Colonel didn't allow it.

"Good. Now, get out of my sight." The Colonel finished, sitting back down and picking the document back up.

Agent Engel decided to bite her tongue and keep herself from saying anything else. But she'd get the Colonel back, eventually. She turned around and exited the room, slamming the door after leaving.

* * *

"I think we're here." Brandon said, leaning over the edge of the boat to get a better view of the island they were coming toward.

Ravu frowned. "You think? Of course we're here."

"I've heard of Avalon's black sand, but-" Opalaisha got a look for herself. "I never believed it."

"Makes it a tourist attraction." Tami implied. "No one really knows why the sand is black."

"Could be because of that war that happened." Brandon said with a laugh.

Leah rolled her eyes. "That doesn't explain anything."

"Stupid." Ravu added.

Greg came down just as the boat came to a stop and docked. Buck soon followed, flicking his cigarette into the water in the process. Ravu stood and gave a small bow.

"Thank you so much, Mr. Wreckshire, sir. You were a ton of help." The fiery eyed girl stated.

Buck only nodded. "Don't mention it. Ya'll take care out there." He said, as the group began to move off of the ship.

The group of wanted teens headed right into the town on Avalon, which was a decent size, to get out of sight. The island was much larger than any one of them could of thought, with a small field and thicket of trees behind the town. Though the sand was strangely black, the island seem pretty much like a vacation resort-type island. That's the feeling the group was getting, thanks to the palm trees stationed around it.

"I like this place." Brandon spun on his heel as he took in the sights. "And I haven't seen any of those Rambosan dudes walking around."

"Me either..." Greg said, giving a look around. "Maybe they're searching the mines for us. If that's the case," He looked at the others. "We can use this time to get supplies."

Brandon grinned. "I TOTALLY agree."

"No, we can't." Leah quickly cut in. "Like Ravu said on the boat, they'll be expecting us to rest here. If we stay here, they're going to catch us." She glared at Greg and Brandon. "We_ can't_ stay here."

"I think it's a good idea if we do." Tami suggested. "We've been hiking through that mine for a whole day. The only break we got was sitting on that boat. You may have endurance, Leah, and you too, Ravu, but we need to rest."

Leah folded her arms and closed her eyes. "...I have a bad feeling about this."

"We won't be here for long." Greg said. "Just long enough for me to give Brandon a few tips with his sword and take a quick nap. I'm sure Tami wants to get a few things for us to use on the rest of the way to Rambosa, right?" He looked at the girl, who gave a nod.

"Greg, I know you." Ravu said, pointing at the boy she saw as a brother. "You can get side-tracked and lose track of time."

Greg laughed and held his hands up defensively. "I won't this time!"

"He's right, he won't." Tami said a bit sternly. "At some point, the ships will stop coming to Avalon. If we're too late to find one, then we'll be stuck here for the night. If that happens, we can count ourselves as being caught."

"...Opalaisha?" Leah threw a questioning look towards the said girl. "What do you think?"

Opalaisha shrugged. "I could go for a small nap. I believe it will do us all some good."

Leah and Ravu both let out a heavy sigh, before Leah nodded. "Fine...I guess we're staying." She then pointed to Greg and Brandon. "But if we get caught, the blame falls with you two!"

Greg and Brandon just exchanged stares before giving laughing nods to the girls.

Engel watched from the safety of the shadows, eyeing the group with an intense glare. She reached onto her person and pulled out a radio. "Agent Engel here. I've got a visual on the targets." She said through gritted teeth. "It seems they plan on resting here."

_"Bad choice on their part."_ The Colonel's voice came back in response. _"I'm shutting down the docks immediately."_


End file.
